Plate 21, Cassell's Book of Birds

THE BLUE GRANDALA ____ Grandala Coelicolor

about 2⁄3 Nat. size

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CASSELL'S
BOOK OF BIRDS.

FROM THE TEXT OF DR. BREHM.

BY

THOMAS RYMER JONES, F.R.S.,

PROFESSOR OF NATURAL HISTORY AND COMPARATIVE ANATOMY IN KING'S COLLEGE, LONDON.

WITH UPWARDS OF

Four Hundred Engravings, and a Series of Coloured Plates.

IN FOUR VOLUMES.

VOL. III.

LONDON:
CASSELL, PETTER, AND GALPIN;
AND NEW YORK

CONTENTS.

——♦——

THE SEARCHERS (Investigatores).

PAGE
THE CLIMBERS. The CLIMBING BIRDS (Scansor):—The Tenuirostral. The FLOWER BIRDS (Certhiola). The BLUE BIRDS (Cæreba):—The Sai, or Blue Caereba. The PITPITS (Certhiola):—The Banana Quit, or Black and Yellow Creeper. The HONEYSUCKERS (Nectarinia):—The Abu-Risch. The FIRE HONEYSUCKERS (Æthopyga):—The Cadet. The BENT-BEAKS (Cyrtostomus):—The Australian Blossom Rifler. The SPIDER-EATERS (Arachnothera). The HALF-BILLS (Hemignathus):—The Brilliant Half-bill. The HANGING BIRDS (Arachnocestra):—The True Hanging Bird. The HONEY-EATERS (Meliphaga). The TRUE HONEY-EATERS (Myzomela):—The Red-headed Honey-eater. The TUFTED HONEY-EATERS (Ptilotis):—The Yellow-throated Tufted Honey-eater. The BRUSH WATTLE BIRDS (Melichæra):—The True Brush Wattle Bird—The Poe, or Tui. The FRIAR BIRDS (Tropidorhyncus):—The "Leatherhead." The HOOPOES (Upupa):—The Common Hoopoe. The TREE HOOPOES (Irrisor):—The Red-beaked Tree Hoopoe [1]–[15]

THE TREE CLIMBERS (Anabata). The BUNDLE-NESTS (Phacellodomus):—The Red-fronted Bundle-nest, or Climbing Thrush. The OVEN BIRDS (Furnarius):—The Red Oven Bird. The GROUND WOODPECKERS (Geositta):—The Burrowing Ground Woodpecker. The STAIR-BEAKS (Xenops);—The Hairy-cheeked Stair-beak. THE NUTHATCHES (Sitta)—The Common Nuthatch—The Syrian Nuthatch. The CREEPERS (Sittella):—The Bonneted Creeper. The WALL CREEPERS (Tichodroma):—The Alpine or Red-winged Wall Creeper. The TRUE TREE CREEPERS (Certhia):—The Tree Peckers. TREE CLIMBERS (Scandentes):—The Common Tree Creeper—The Sabre-bill—The Woodpecker Tree-chopper. The WOODPECKERS (Picida). The BLACK WOODPECKERS (Dryocopus):—The European Black Woodpecker. The GIANT WOODPECKERS (Campephilus):—The Imperial Woodpecker—The Ivory-billed Woodpecker. The BLACK WOODPECKERS (Melanerpes):—The Red-headed Black Woodpecker—The Ant-eating Black Woodpecker. The VARIEGATED WOODPECKERS (Picus):—The Great Spotted Woodpecker—The Harlequin Woodpecker—The Three-toed Woodpecker. The GREEN WOODPECKERS (Cecinus):—The Green Woodpecker. The CUCKOO WOODPECKERS (Colaptes):—The Golden-winged Woodpecker—The Red-shafted or Copper Woodpecker—The Field Woodpecker. The SOFT-TAILED WOODPECKERS (Picumnus):—The Dwarf Woodpecker. The WRY-NECKS (Yunx):—The Wry-neck [15]–[45]

HUMMING BIRDS. The HUMMING BIRDS (Stridor). The GIANT GNOMES (Eustephanus):—The Giant Humming Bird—The Sword-bill Humming Bird. The GNOMES (Polytmus):—The Saw-bill—The Sickle-billed Humming Bird. The SUN BIRDS (Phäetornis):—The Cayenne Hermit. The MOUNTAIN NYMPHS (Oreotrochilus):—The Chimborazian Hill-star. The SABRE-WINGS (Campylopterus):—De Lattrei's Sabre-wing. The TRUE SABRE-WINGS (Platystylopterus):—The Fawn-coloured Sabre-wing. The JEWEL HUMMING BIRDS (Hypophania):—The Crimson Topaz Humming Bird—The Black-capped Humming Bird. The WOOD NYMPHS (Lampornis):—The Mango Humming Bird—The Ruby and Topaz Wood Nymph. The FLOWER NYMPHS (Florisugus):—The Brazilian Fairy. The FLOWER SUCKERS (Florisuga):—The Pied Jacobin. THE FAIRIES (Trochilus):—The Ruby-throated Fairy Humming Bird. The AMETHYST HUMMING BIRDS (Calliphlox):—The Amethyst Humming Bird. The WOODSTARS (Calothorax, or Lucifer):—Mulsant's Wood-star. The ELVES (Lophornithes). The PLOVER-CRESTS (Cephalolepis):—De Laland's Plover-crest. The COQUETTES (Lophornis):—The Splendid Coquette. The AMAZONS (Bellatrix):—The Royal Amazon. The SUN GEMS (Heliactinus):—The Horned Sun Gem. The SYLPHS (Lesbiæ). The RACKET-TAILED SYLPHS (Steganurus):—The White-footed Racket-tail. The COMETS (Sparganura):—The Sappho Comet. The MASKED HUMMING BIRDS (Microrhamphi):—The Sharp-bearded Masked Humming Bird—The Columbian Thornbill. The HELMET CRESTS (Oxypogon):—Linden's Helmet Crest [45]–[75]

THE LIGHT-BEAKS (Levirostres). The BEE-EATERS (Meropes):—The Common Bee-eater—The Bee-wolf—The Bridled Bee-eater—The Swallow Bee-eater—The Australian Bee-eater. The NOCTURNAL BEE-EATERS (Nyctiornis):—The Sangrok. The ROLLERS (Coracii):—The Blue Roller. The DOLLAR BIRDS (Eurystomus):—The Australian Dollar Bird—The Oriental Dollar Bird. The SAW-BILL ROLLERS (Prionites):—The Mot-mot. The BROAD-THROATS (Eurylaimus):—The Sumatran Trowel-beak. The TRUE BROAD-THROATS (Eurylaimus):—The Java Broad-throat—The Raya. The TODIES (Todi):—The Tody, or Green Flat-bill [75]–[87]

THE KINGFISHERS (Alcedines):—The European Kingfisher. The PURPLE KINGFISHERS (Ceyx):—The Purple Kingfisher. The GREY KINGFISHERS (Ceryle):—The Grey Kingfisher [87]–[91]

THE ALCYONS (Halcyones). The TREE ALCYONS (Halcyones):—The Red-breasted Tree Alcyon. The WOOD ALCYON (Todiramphus):—The Yellow-headed Wood Alcyon—The Blue Alcyon. The GIANT ALCYONS (Paralcyon, or Dacelo):—The Laughing Jackass, or Settler's Clock. The PARADISE ALCYONS (Tanysiptera):—The True Paradise Alcyon. The SAW-BEAKED ALCYONS (Syma):—The Poditti. The SLUGGARDS (Agornithes). The JACAMARS (Galbulæ):—The True Jacamars—The Green Jacamar [91]-[96]

THE BUCCOS (Buccones). The SLEEPERS (Nystalus):—The Tschakuru. The TRAPPISTS (Monasta):—The Dusky Trappist, or Bearded Cuckoo. The DREAMERS (Chelidoptera):—The Dark Dreamer. The TOURACOS, or TROGONS (Trogones). The FIRE TOURACOS (Harpactes):—The Karna, or Malabar Trogon. The FLOWER TOURACOS (Hapaloderma):—The Narina. The TROGONS PROPER (Trogon):—The Surukua, or Touraco—The Pompeo—The Tocoloro. The BEAUTIFUL-TAILED TROGONS (Calurus):—The Peacock Trogon—The Beautiful Trogon—The Quesal, or Resplendent Trogon [96]–[105]

THE CUCKOOS (Cuculidæ). The HONEY GUIDES (Indicator):—The White-beaked Honey Guide. The CUCKOOS (Cuculus):—The Common Cuckoo. The JAY CUCKOOS (Coccystes):—The Jay Cuckoo. The KOELS (Eudynamys):—The Koel, or Kuil. The GOLDEN CUCKOOS (Chrysococcyx):—The Didrik, or Golden Cuckoo. The GIANT CUCKOOS (Scythrops):—The Giant Cuckoo, or Channel-bill. The BUSH CUCKOOS (Phœnicophæi):—The Kokil, or Large Green-billed Malkoha. The RAIN CUCKOOS (Coccygi):—The Rain or Yellow-billed Cuckoo—The Rain Bird. The LONG-TAILED CUCKOOS (Pyrrhococcyx):—The Long-tailed Cuckoo. The TICK-EATERS (Crotophagæ). The TRUE TICK-EATERS (Crotophaga):—The Coroya—The Ani, or Savanna Blackbird—The Wrinkled-beaked Tick-eater. The COUCALS, or SPURRED CUCKOOS (Centropodes):—The Egyptian Coucal. The CROW PHEASANTS (Centrococcyx):—The Hedge Crow. The PHEASANT COUCALS (Polophilus):—The Pheasant Coucal. The BARBETS (Capitones):—The Pearl Bird—The Golden Barbet—The Toucan Barbet [105]–[127]

THE HORNBILLS (Bucerotidæ). The TOUCANS (Ramphastidæ). The ARASSARIS (Pteroglossus):—The Arassari. The TOUCANS PROPER (Ramphastus):—The Toco Toucan—The Kirima, or Red-billed Toucan—The Tukana. The HORNBILLS PROPER (Bucerotes). The SMOOTH-BEAKED HORNBILLS (Rhynchaceros):—The Tok. The TWO-HORNED HORNBILLS (Dichoceros):—The Homray—The Djolan, or Year Bird—The Abbagamba, or Abyssinian Hornbill [127]–[140]

GALLINACEOUS BIRDS (Gallinæ).

PIGEONS (Gyratores). The FRUIT PIGEONS (Trerones):—The Parrot Pigeon. The DOVES (Columbæ):—The Ring-dove, Wood Pigeon, or Cushat—The Stock Dove—The Rock Dove. The CUCKOO PIGEONS (Macropygiæ):—The Passenger Pigeon, or Carolina Turtle-dove. The TURTLE-DOVES (Turtures):—The Turtle-dove. The INDIAN RING-DOVES (Streptopeleia):—The Indian Ring-dove—The Dwarf Pigeon. The GROUND PIGEONS. The AMERICAN GROUND PIGEONS (Zenaidæ). The SINGING DOVES (Melopeleia):—The Kukuli. The SPARROW PIGEONS (Pyrgitœnas):—The Sparrow Pigeon, or Ground Dove. The SPARROW-HAWK PIGEONS (Geopeleia):—The Striped Sparrow-hawk Pigeon—The Speckled or Wedge-tailed Turtle-dove. The RUNNING PIGEONS (Geotrygones):—The Partridge Dove. The BRONZE-WINGED PIGEONS (Phapes):—The Crested Bronze-wing. The TRUE BRONZE-WINGS (Phaps):—The Common Bronze-wing [141]–[166]

THE QUAIL PIGEONS (Geophaps):—The Partridge Bronze-wing. The WHITE-FLESHED PIGEONS (Leucosarcia):—The Wonga-Wonga Pigeon—The Hackled Ground Pigeon. The CROWNED PIGEONS (Gouræ):—The Crowned Pigeon—The Victoria Crowned Pigeon—The Didunculus, or Toothed Pigeon [166]–[172]

TRUE GALLINACEOUS BIRDS. The SAND GROUSE (Pteroclæ):—The Ganga, or Large Sand Grouse—The Large Pin-tailed Grouse, or Khata—The Common Sand Grouse—The Striped Sand Grouse—Pallas's Sand Grouse. The GROUSE TRIBE (Tetraonidæ). The GROUSE PROPER (Tetraones):—The Capercali. The HEATH COCKS (Lyrurus):—The Black Cock—The Hybrid Grouse—The Hazel Grouse—The Prairie Hen, or Pinnated Grouse [172]-[195]

THE PTARMIGANS (Lagopus):—The Willow Ptarmigan—The Alpine or Grey Ptarmigan—The Red Grouse, Brown Ptarmigan, or Gar Cock [195]–[202]

THE PARTRIDGES (Perdices). The SNOW PARTRIDGES (Tetraogallus):—The Caspian Snow Partridge—The Himalayan Snow Cock, or Snow Pheasant. The RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGES (Caccabis):—The Greek Partridge—The Chuckore—The Red-legged Partridge—The Barbary Partridge—The Common Partridge. The FRANCOLINS (Francolinus):—The Black Partridge. The BARE-NECKED PHEASANTS (Pternistes):—The Red-necked Pheasants. The AMERICAN PARTRIDGES (Odontophori):—The Capueira Partridge—The Virginian or American Partridge. The CALIFORNIAN PARTRIDGE (Lophortyx Californianus) and GAMBEL'S PARTRIDGE (Lophortyx Gambelii):—The Californian Partridge—Gambel's Partridge. The QUAILS (Coturnices):—The Common Quail. The DWARF QUAILS (Excalfactoria):—The Chinese Quail. The BUSH QUAIL (Turnices):—The Black-breasted Bustard Quail—The African Bush Quail—The Collared Plain-wanderer [202]–[228]

THE PHASIANIDÆ. The TUFTED PHEASANTS (Lophophori):—The Monaul or Impeyan Pheasant—Lhuys' Pheasant. The TRAGOPANS, or HORNED PHEASANTS (Ceriornis):—The Sikkim Horned Pheasant—The Jewar, or Western Horned Pheasant. The JUNGLE FOWLS (Galli):—Kasintu, or Red Jungle Fowl—The Jungle Fowl of Ceylon—The Javanese Jungle Fowl—The Sonnerat Jungle Fowl, or Katakoli. The MACARTNEY PHEASANTS (Euplocamus):—The Siamese Fireback—The Sikkim Kaleege, or Black Pheasant—The Kelitsch, or White-crested Kaleege Pheasant—The Silver Pheasant. The PHEASANTS PROPER (Phasiani):—The Common Pheasant—The Chinese Ring-necked Pheasant—The Japanese Pheasant—Soemmerring's Pheasant—Reeves' Pheasant. The GOLDEN PHEASANTS (Thaumalea):—The Golden Pheasant—Lady Amherst's Pheasant. The EARED PHEASANTS (Crossoptilon):—The Chinese Eared Pheasant—The Argus Pheasant, or Kuau. The PEACOCK PHEASANTS (Polyplectron):—The Chinquis, or Assam Peacock Pheasant. The PEACOCKS (Pavones):—The Common Peacock—The Black-winged Peacock—The Japan Peacock. The GUINEA FOWLS (Numidæ). The ROYAL GUINEA FOWLS (Acryllium):—The Vulturine Royal Guinea Fowl [228]–[257]

THE TUFTED GUINEA FOWLS (Guttera):—Pucheran's Tufted Guinea Fowl. The GUINEA FOWLS (Numida):—The Common Guinea Fowl—The Mitred Pintado—The Tuft-beaked Pintado. The TURKEYS (Meleagrides):—The Puter, or Wild Turkey. The AUSTRALIAN JUNGLE FOWLS (Megapodinæ). The TALLEGALLI (Tallegalli). The BRUSH TURKEYS (Catheturus):—The Brush Turkey, or Wattled Tallegallus—The Maleo—The Ocellated Leipoa. The MEGAPODES (Megapodii):—The Australian Megapode [256]–[275]

THE CURASSOWS, or HOCCOS (Cracidæ). The TRUE CURASSOWS, or HOCCOS (Craces):—The Common or Crested Curassow—The Wattled Curassow—The Red Curassow—The Galeated Curassow—The Mountain Curassow, or Lord Derby's Guan. The GUANS (Penelopæ):—The Supercilious Guan—The Pigmy, or Piping Guan—The Aracuan—The Hoactzin, or Stink Bird. The TINAMOUS (Crypturidæ):—The Tataupa—The Inambu [275]–[285]

THE AMERICAN QUAILS (Nothura):—The Lesser Mexican Quail—The Macuca. The SPUR-FOWLS (Galloperdices):—The Painted Spur-fowl [285]–[286]

SHORT-WINGED CURSORIAL BIRDS (Brevipennes).

THE OSTRICH (Struthio camelus). The NANDUS (Rhea):—The Nandu, or American Ostrich—The Long-billed Nandu—The Dwarf Nandu [287]–[299]

THE EMUS (Dromæus):—The Emu—The Spotted Emu [300]–[302]

THE CASSOWARIES (Casuarii):—The Helmeted Cassowary—The Mooruk—The Australian Cassowary. The KIVIS (Apteryges):—The Kivi-Kivi—Mantell's Apteryx—Owen's Apteryx [302]–[312]

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

——♦——

COLOURED PLATES

WOOD ENGRAVINGS.

CASSELL'S
BOOK OF BIRDS.

—♦—

THE SEARCHERS (Investigatores).

The families which, according to natural arrangement, seem to constitute a third division of the great class of birds are principally characterised by the conditions under which they procure their food, viz., by searching for it in situations where it can only be obtained by diligent investigation or laborious exertion. Their diet is usually of a very mixed description, consisting partly of insects and partly of materials derived from the vegetable creation. Many of them were at one time considered to subsist entirely upon the honeyed juices of the fruits and blossoms, among which they spend the greater part of their lives; and, although it is now generally admitted that the insects which abound in the nectared chalices whence they draw their supplies constitute a principal article of their nutriment, they are not the less on that account to be regarded as riflers of the saccharine stores laid up for their use in many a beautiful cup temptingly held forth for their enjoyment. Such are the Honeysuckers and the gorgeously decorated Humming Birds, whose sumptuous garb would seem literally intended to "gild refined gold and paint the lily." A second important group, constituted likewise for the purpose of preying upon insects, has been specially adapted to climb the trunks of trees in search of the innumerable hosts of destroyers that lurk beneath the bark, or in the crevices of wood in progress of decay. These constitute an extensive family, well exemplified by the Woodpeckers; while others, furnished with beaks and feet of very diverse structure, search everywhere for the particular kind of nourishment upon which they are destined to subsist.

The name we have selected for this extensive division of the feathered creation was first employed by Reichenbach, although not exactly in the same sense as that in which we are going to apply the term, neither can we hit upon any single character whereby all the species included under this denomination can be easily designated; nevertheless, however they may differ among themselves, there is a certain conformity in their structure, and a general resemblance in their habits, which will probably be appreciated when we have put the reader in possession of the details contained in the following pages.

We shall, therefore, at once commence their history, by describing them under the following headings.

THE CLIMBERS.

The CLIMBING BIRDS (Scansor) are for the most part recognisable by their slender though powerful body, short neck, and large head. The long or medium-sized beak is either strong and conical, or weak and of a curved form; the feet are short, and the long toes either arranged in pairs or placed together in the usual manner, and armed with long, hooked, and sharp claws. The moderate-sized wing, which is usually rounded at its extremity, and occasionally of great breadth, is never slender or pointed; the formation of the tail is very various. Anything like a general description of the plumage possessed by the different groups of this order would be impossible; some, glittering with gay and even resplendent colours, dart through the air like living gems, whilst others are clad in such dull and sombre livery as to be scarcely distinguishable from the earth or trees upon which they are formed to live. The various representatives of the Scansor may be said to occupy almost every region of our earth; some groups are migratory, and leave their native lands annually with the utmost regularity, whilst others remain throughout the entire year within a certain limited district. Woods and forests are the localities principally occupied by these birds, though they are by no means incapable of ascending rocks, or seeking for their food upon the ground, over the surface of which they run with considerable facility. Their flight is good, but it is upon the trees alone that the Scansor exhibit the full beauty and ease of their movements. All the members of this order consume insects, and many devour fruit, berries, seeds, honey, and the pollen of plants. As regards their powers of song they are by no means gifted; indeed, the most highly endowed amongst them rarely rise above the utterance of a few pleasing notes during the breeding season. The construction of the nests of the Scansor varies so considerably that we shall confine ourselves to speaking of them in their appropriate places.

It is usual among systematic writers to associate many of the birds which we have included in the present order as slender-billed forms of one or other of the preceding divisions, more especially those usually denominated TENUIROSTRES, and perhaps we shall be harshly judged for our departure from the usual custom; be that as it may, the resemblance between some of the Climbing Birds and some Singing Birds is undeniable, and it is upon that ground that we treat of them in this place.

The TENUIROSTRAL species are distinguishable from all others by the slenderness of their beak, which is usually more or less curved, and by the feebleness of their feet, the toes of which are not arranged in pairs. They may be grouped as follows:—

The FLOWER BIRDS (Certhiola) constitute a small group of South American species, remarkable for the great beauty of their plumage. All possess a slender body, moderate-sized wing, containing nine primaries (of which the second, third, and fourth are the longest), and a somewhat soft-feathered tail, of medium length. The beak is also of moderate size, much arched at its base, and curved slightly inwards at its margins. The tongue is long, divided, and thread-like at its tip, but not protrusible; the foot is short and powerful. The sexes are readily distinguishable by the diversity of their coloration, the plumage of the male being blue, and that of the female usually green. All the members of this group closely resemble our singing birds in their habits and mode of life; they subsist upon insects, seeds, corn, and berries, in pursuit of which they hop from branch to branch, with ever restless activity. According to the Prince von Wied, they regard fruit of various kinds, particularly oranges, with especial favour, and, when these are ripe, constantly venture into the gardens, even close to dwelling-houses, with all the fearlessness of the Domestic Sparrow; at other seasons they prefer to keep within the shelter of well-wooded thickets. Their song, we believe, consists of but a single note.

The BLUE BIRDS (Cæreba) are at once recognisable by their long, thin beak, which is compressed at its sides, and slightly notched near its very sharp tip; the wing is long and pointed, its second and third quills, which are of equal size, exceeding the rest in length. The moderate-sized tail is straight at its extremity; the legs are weak, and the tongue, which is tolerably long, composed of two lobes, terminating in fringed margins.

THE SAI, OR BLUE CAEREBA.

The SAI, or BLUE CAEREBA (Cæreba cyanea). The prevailing colour of this beautiful species is a brilliant light blue, shading towards the top of the head into resplendent blueish green; the upper part of the back, wings, and tail, as well as a stripe surrounding the eye, are black, and the inner margins of the wings yellow. The eye is greyish brown, the beak and foot bright orange-red. The plumage of the female is siskin-green on the upper parts of the body, and pale green beneath; the throat is whitish. The length of this species is four inches and two-thirds, the wing measures two inches and a quarter, and the tail one inch and a quarter.

THE SAI, OR BLUE CAEREBA (Cæreba cyanea).

These beautiful birds are met with throughout the greater part of South America, and are especially numerous about Espirito Santo. The Prince von Wied found them in large numbers inhabiting the forests near the coast, and tells us, that except during the breeding season, they live in small parties of six or eight, which disport themselves among the topmost branches of the trees, frequently associating with Tangaras, and such other of the feathered inhabitants of their leafy retreats as are about their own size. Fruit, seeds, and insects constitute their principal means of subsistence, and in pursuit of these they display an agility and dexterity fully equalling that of our own Titmouse. The voice of the Sai is only capable of producing a gentle twitter. Schomburghk mentions that large numbers of a very similar species are destroyed by the natives, who employ the gay and glossy feathers as personal ornaments.

The PITPITS (Certhiola) have a high slender beak, which curves gently towards its sharp tip; their wings are long, their tail short, and their tongue divided into two parts, each of which terminates in a brush of thread-like fibres.

THE BANANA QUIT, OR BLACK AND YELLOW CREEPER.

The BANANA QUIT, or BLACK AND YELLOW CREEPER (Certhiola flaveola), is blackish brown on the upper parts of the body, and of a beautiful bright yellow on the under side and rump; a line that passes above the eyes, the anterior borders of the primary quills, the tips of the tail, and its two outer feathers are white; the throat is ash-grey, the eye greyish brown, the back is black, and the foot brown. The female is blackish olive on the back, and pale yellow on the under side; in other respects her plumage resembles that of her mate. The length of this species is three inches and five-sixths; the wing measures two inches and one-sixth, and the tail one inch.

THE BANANA QUIT (Certhiola flaveola).

"Scarcely larger than the average size of Humming Birds," writes Mr. Gosse, "this little Creeper is often seen in company with them, probing the same flowers, and for the same purpose, but in a very different manner. Instead of hovering in front of each blossom, a task to which his short wings would be utterly incompetent, the Quit alights on the tree, and proceeds in most business-like manner to peep into the flowers, hopping actively from twig to twig, and throwing his body into all positions, often clinging by his feet with his head downwards, the better to reach the blossoms with his curved beak and pencilled tongue; the minute insects which are concealed in the flowers are always the objects of his search. Unsuspectingly familiar, these birds resort much to the blossoming shrubs of enclosed gardens. The soft, sibilant note of the Quit is often uttered while the bird peeps about for food. The nest is frequently built in those low trees and bushes from whose twigs depend the paper nests of the brown wasps, and in close contiguity with them. On the 4th of May, as I was riding to Savannah-le-Mar, I observed a Banana Quit with a bit of silk cotton in her beak, and, on searching, found a nest just commenced in a sage bush (Lautana camara). The structure, though incomplete, was evidently about to be a dome, and so far was entirely constructed of silk-cotton. A nest now before me is in the form of a globe, with a small opening in the side. The walls are very thick, composed of dry grass, intermixed irregularly with the down of Asclepias. This nest I found between the twigs of a branch of Bauhinia that projected over the high road, near Content, in St. Elizabeth's. The two eggs were greenish white, thickly but indefinitely dashed with red at the broad end."

THE ABU-RISCH (Hedydipna metallica).

In the Eastern Hemisphere the Flower Birds are represented by—

The HONEYSUCKERS (Nectarinia). These are small and delicately-constructed birds, adorned with plumage of the most brilliant hues; their body is compact, their beak thin, slightly curved, and sharply pointed. The moderately long wing contains ten primary quills. The formation of the tail is very varied, being either straight, rounded, or wedge-shaped at its extremity; its two centre feathers occasionally extend considerably beyond the rest. The tongue is long, very protrusible, and divided at its tip; the feet are high, and the toes slender. The coloration of the plumage varies not only in the two sexes, but also at different seasons; the feathers are moulted twice in the year, and only exhibit their gay tints during the period of incubation; towards the end of the season the males are clad in the same sombre hues that belong to the females and young. The Honeysuckers inhabit the whole of Africa, Asia, and Oceania, the first-mentioned continent being especially rich in species. Everywhere their glowing colours entitle them to be regarded as the most striking ornaments of the woods, groves, or gardens they inhabit, whilst their intelligence renders the study of their habits extremely interesting. During the greatest part of the year they live in pairs, which occasionally associate into small parties during the breeding season. The nests of the Honeysuckers are constructed with great skill, and are usually suspended from thin branches or twigs. The eggs, which are few in number, are of a pure white.

THE ABU-RISCH.

The ABU-RISCH (Hedydipna metallica) represents a group recognisable by their slightly-curved beak, scarcely equalling the head in length; their comparatively short wings, in which the second, third, fourth, and fifth quills are of equal length; and their wedge-shaped tail, the two centre feathers of which are usually considerably prolonged. The male is of a metallic green on the head, throat, back, and shoulder-covers; the under side is bright yellow, a line upon the breast and the rump have a violet sheen; the quills and tail-feathers are blackish blue, the eye brown, and the beak and feet black. The back of the female is of a light olive-brown, and her under side sulphur-yellow; her quills and tail-feathers have light edges. The young resemble the mother, but are of a paler hue. The length of this species is six inches, of which three and a half belong to the centre tail-feathers, the rest do not exceed thirteen and a quarter; the wings measure two inches and one-sixth. The Abu-Risch is met with in all such parts of Africa as afford it the shelter of its favourite mimosa-trees, upon and around which it may literally be said to spend its whole existence. Early in the morning, and towards the close of the day, it usually perches quietly among the branches, and only displays its full vivacity during the noontide heat, when it flutters rapidly from blossom to blossom, in search of food, singing and chirping briskly as it flies in cheerful companionship with its almost inseparable mate. The song of the male is pleasing, and accompanied by a great variety of gesticulations and attitudes, calculated to exhibit his crest and plumage in all their varied beauty to the admiring gaze of the female, who usually endeavours to imitate her partner, but, owing to the comparative dullness of her colours, with a far less imposing result. In Southern Nubia the breeding season commences in March or April. The nest, which is variously formed, is neatly and skilfully woven with cotton-wool and similar materials, and lined with hair or spiders' webs. This pretty little structure is usually suspended from the end of a branch, at no great height from the ground, and is entered by an aperture at the side, frequently so situated that the leaves of the branch overhang and shade the entrance hole. Both parents work busily in constructing this snug apartment for their young, and have seldom completed their labours in less than a fortnight's time. The eggs, which are oval in shape, and white, are incubated by the female alone.

The FIRE HONEYSUCKERS (Æthopyga), the Indian representatives of the above group, are recognisable by the comparative thinness of their short but distinctly curved beak. In their wings the fourth quill exceeds the rest in length; the tail is wedge-shaped at its sides, and furnished with two long and slender feathers in its centre. The plumage of the male is enlivened by brightly-tinted stripes on the cheeks, while that of the female is sombre, and almost of uniform tint.

THE CADET.

The CADET (Æthopyga miles), one of the most beautiful members of this family, is blood-red on the back; the throat and upper part of the breast are of a somewhat paler crimson; the top of the head is violet, with a bright, metallic, green lustre. The nape is deep olive-yellow, and the belly pale greenish yellow; a steel-blue line, that becomes gradually broader, passes from the corners of the mouth to the sides of the neck; the quills are brown, edged with olive; the two centre tail-feathers are glossy violet-green, and those of the exterior brown, with a purple sheen on the outer web. The eye is dark brown, the upper mandible black, the lower one brown, and the foot greyish black. The female is olive-green on the back, and yellowish green on the under side. The wing measures two inches and three-eighths, and the tail three inches.

The Cadet inhabits the northern and eastern parts of India, and is often met with in the Himalayas at an altitude of 2,500 feet above the level of the sea.

The BENT-BEAKS (Cyrtostomus) are distinguishable by their very decidedly curved beak, which equals the head in length, is blunt at its margins, and slightly incised towards its very sharp tip; the tarsus is comparatively high, the tail short and rounded, and the wings, in which the fourth and fifth quills are the longest, of moderate size. The plumage is of an olive-green on the upper parts of the body, and brightly coloured in the region of the throat.

THE AUSTRALIAN BLOSSOM RIFLER.

The AUSTRALIAN BLOSSOM RIFLER (Cyrtostomus Australis) is olive-green on the back, and of a beautiful bright yellow on the under side; the throat and upper breast are steel-blue. A short yellow streak passes over the eyes, and beneath this runs a long line of deeper shade; the eye is chestnut-brown, and the beak and feet black. The female is of an uniform yellow on the under side. According to Gould, the body of this species measures four inches and three-quarters, the wing two inches and one-eighth, and the tail two inches and a half.

"This pretty bird," says Macgillivray, as quoted by Gould, "appears to be distributed along the whole coast of Australia, the adjacent islands, and the whole of the islands in Jones's Straits. Although thus generally distributed, it is nowhere numerous, seldom more than a pair being seen together. Its habits resemble those of the Ptilotes, with which it often associates, but still more closely those of the Myzomela azura; like those birds, it resorts to the flowering trees, to feed upon the insects which frequent the blossoms, especially those of a species of Sciodophyllum. This singular tree, whose range on the north-eastern coast and that of the Australian Sun Bird appears to be the same, is furnished with enormous spike-like racemes of small scarlet flowers, which attract numbers of insects, and thus furnish an abundant supply of appropriate food. The Blossom Rifler is of a pugnacious disposition, as I have more than once seen; it drives away and pursues any visitor to the same tree. Perhaps this disposition is only exhibited during the breeding season. The nests we found at Cape York were pensile, and attached to the twig of a prickly bush; one, measuring seven inches in length, was of an elongated shape, with a rather large opening on one side, close to the top; it was composed of shreds of Melaleuca bark, a few leaves, various fibrous substances, rejectamenta of caterpillars, &c., and lined with the silky cotton of the Bombyx Australis. The eggs were pear-shaped, mottled with dirty brown, on a greenish grey ground. Another nest, found at Mount Ernest, Jones's Straits, differs from those seen in Cape York, in having over the entrance a projecting fringe-like hood, composed of the panicles of a delicate grass-like plant. It contained two young birds, and I saw the mother visit them twice in an interval of ten minutes. She glanced past like an arrow, perched at once on the nest, clinging to the lower side of the entrance, and looked round very watchfully for a few seconds before feeding the young, after which she disappeared as suddenly as she arrived."

The SPIDER-EATERS (Arachnothera) are short, compactly-built birds, with extraordinarily long and often strangely-formed beaks, which in most species are very decidedly curved and delicately incised at the margins. The nostrils are covered with a skin, and only open inferiorly, where they terminate in a horizontal slit-shaped aperture. The thread-like tongue, which is very long, and greatly resembles that of a butterfly, consists of two fine tubes, which run side by side, and are closely connected along their under surface; a longitudinal groove is interposed between them above. The arrangement of the bones at the base of the tongue, whereby the lingual apparatus is capable of considerable protrusion, is very similar to that observable in the Woodpecker. The feet are powerful, but of medium length, and the wings (in which the fourth quill is the longest) are of moderate size. The sexes are very similar in the coloration of their plumage, in which brownish green, and more or less lively yellow, grey, or green, predominate.

The Spider-eaters usually frequent the most shady retreats in their favourite woods, and but rarely ascend the branches to more than fifteen or twenty feet from the ground. In the Sunda Islands they are principally met with in the coffee plantations, the brushwood that skirts the mountains, or in the thickets of trees and shrubs that surround the villages. In all these situations they are numerous, and are constantly to be seen as they flit from flower to flower in search of the insects and honey upon which they subsist. Small spiders are said to be eagerly devoured by all the members of this family, hence their name of Arachnothera. The flight of the Spider-eaters, which is extremely rapid, and in many respects like that of the Woodpecker, is observed by the natives with a superstitious attention, fully equalling the reverence paid by the Romans to the predictions drawn by their augurs from a similar source.

The HALF-BILLS (Hemignathus) are a group of Spider-eaters that are easily recognisable by the strange formation of their beak; the upper mandible terminates in a sharp point, and is always much longer than the under portion of the bill, sometimes twice its length. The toes, also, are comparatively long, and the foot short. The plumage is usually green upon the back, and of a yellowish tint beneath. All the members of this group inhabit Oceania.

THE BRILLIANT HALF-BILL.

The BRILLIANT HALF-BILL (Hemignathus lucidus), one of the most beautiful members of this group, is olive-green upon the entire mantle, shading into grass-green on the top of the head and at the edges of the wings. A stripe over the eyes, and the sides of the head and throat are orange-red; the breast is bright yellow, the belly of a paler shade, and its lower portion greenish grey. In young birds the back and region of the eye are olive-green, the under side light greenish grey, and the belly pale yellow. This species is six inches long, but of this measurement one inch and three-quarters belong to the tail, and one inch and a quarter to the beak; the lower mandible does not exceed eight lines in length. We are without particulars as to the life of this bird, except that it inhabits the Pisang plantations.

The HANGING BIRDS (Arachnocestra) are recognised by the great length of their slightly-curved beak, the base of which is as broad as it is high; the upper mandible is delicately incised, and the entire bill of almost equal thickness, only tapering gently towards the extremity; the legs are slender, the toes long, and the wings (in which the fourth, fifth, and sixth quills exceed the rest in length) of moderate size; the tail is short and rounded.

THE TRUE HANGING BIRDS.

The TRUE HANGING BIRDS (Arachnocestra longirostris) are olive-green on the back, and sulphur-yellow on the under side; the throat and upper breast are white, the quills and tail-feathers deep brown, the former edged with olive, and the three outer tail-feathers tipped with white; the beak and feet are blackish grey. This species is six inches and a half long, the wing measures two inches and two-thirds, and the tail one inch and three-quarters.

THE HANGING BIRD (Arachnocestra longirostris).

These birds frequent banana plantations, and usually betray their presence by their shrill chirping cry. Were it not for the constant repetition of their note they would rarely be observed, as the hues of their plumage render it almost impossible to detect them among the foliage. We learn from Bernstein that their manner of building is very remarkable. The oval-shaped nest, some six or seven inches long, and three or four inches broad, is attached by threads to a large leaf, in such a manner that the latter forms the fourth side. Fine grass and fibres are employed for the interior, and half-decayed leaves, of which little more than the fibrous portion remains, are used for the outer wall, so that, when completed, the curious structure has rather the appearance of a substantial spider's web than of a bird's nest. The entrance is at one end. The eggs, two in number, are pure white, spotted with reddish brown at the broad extremity.

The HONEY-EATERS (Meliphaga) have a long, slender, slightly-curved beak, the upper mandible of which extends considerably beyond the lower portion. The feet are strong but moderate-sized, and furnished with powerful hinder toes; the wing, also moderate, is rounded, its fourth quill being the longest; the tail varies in its dimensions, but is usually rounded at its extremity; the nostrils are concealed by a cartilaginous skin; the gape is narrow, and the tongue provided with a tuft of delicate fibrous bristles at its tip. The stomach is very small, and but slightly muscular. The plumage, which differs little in the two sexes, varies considerably in different species. In some it is thick, variegated, and much developed in the region of the ear, in others smooth, compact, and of almost uniform colour.

All the Honey-eaters are of a lively and restless disposition, and exhibit the utmost activity both when running upon the ground or climbing amongst the branches; in the latter case, especially, their movements are extremely agile. They are constantly to be seen hanging head downwards from the twigs, whilst engaged in busily searching under the leaves for insects, and in extracting honey from the flowers. Some species fly well, and disport themselves freely in the realms of air, whilst others are incapable of continuing their undulatory flight for more than a short distance. The voice of all is rich and varied, indeed, some members of the group may be regarded as really good singers. Few species are social in their habits; they keep together only in pairs, even when of necessity compelled to take up their abode near each other. Towards man they show the utmost confidence, and come freely down into streets and dwellings; indeed, they exhibit no timidity even towards the more formidable of the feathered kind. Instances have been frequently recorded in which they have boldly opposed Crows, Falcons, and other large birds. Their nests are variously constructed, and the number of eggs is always small.

The TRUE HONEY-EATERS (Myzomela) are small birds, with delicate, much curved beaks, powerful feet, and moderate-sized wings and tail. The latter is either straight or slightly incised at its extremity. The plumage is remarkable for its brilliancy.

THE RED-HEADED HONEY-EATER.

The RED-HEADED HONEY-EATER (Myzomela erythrocephala) is a beautiful species, bright scarlet upon the head, throat, and rump; the tail and a band upon the breast are chocolate-brown; the lower breast and belly are brownish yellow, the eye is reddish brown, the beak olive-brown, and the foot olive-grey. The female is brown above, and light fawn-colour on the under side. The length of this species is four inches and a half. The wing measures two inches and a quarter, and the tail one inch and three-quarters.

This magnificent little bird frequents the groves and groups of almond-trees that abound in the northern parts of Australia, and enlivens its favourite haunts as much by the briskness and activity of its movements as by the brightness of its plumage. Its voice is sharp and twittering. We are entirely without particulars of the manner in which incubation is carried on.

The TUFTED HONEY-EATERS (Ptilotis) are remarkable for the unusual development of the feathers in the region of the ear. Their body is elongate, their wings short, and tail long. The strong, slightly-curved beak is short, and the foot of moderate size.

THE YELLOW-THROATED TUFTED HONEY-EATER.

The YELLOW-THROATED TUFTED HONEY-EATER (Ptilotis flavigula) is yellowish green on the back, wings, and tail. The dark grey under side glistens with a silver sheen; the belly and sides are pale olive, the top of the head dark grey, and the throat bright yellow. The feathers that compose the ear-tufts are tipped with yellow, and the outer web of the quills is deep brown. The eye is brown, the beak black, and the foot lead-grey; the gullet and tongue are of a brilliant orange-red. The length of this bird is eight inches; the wing measures four inches and a half, and the tail four inches and a quarter.

"This fine and conspicuous species," says Gould, "is abundant in all the ravines around Hobart Town, and is very generally spread over the whole of Van Dieman's Land, to which island I believe it to be exclusively confined. It is very animated and sprightly, extremely quick in its actions, elegant in its form, and graceful in all its movements; but as its colouring assimilates in a remarkable degree with that of the foliage it frequents, it is somewhat difficult of detection. When engaged in searching for food, it frequently expands its wings and tail, creeps and climbs among the branches in a variety of beautiful attitudes, and often suspends itself to the extreme ends of the outermost twigs. It occasionally perches on the branches of trees, but is mostly to be met with in dense thickets. It flies in an undulating manner, like a Woodpecker, but this power is rarely exercised. Its note is a full, loud, powerful, and melodious call. The stomach is muscular, but of very small size, and the food consists of bees, wasps, and other hymenoptera, also of coleoptera of various kinds, and the pollen of flowers. It is a very early breeder, as is proved by my finding a nest containing two young birds covered with down, and about two days old, on the 27th of September. The nest, which is generally placed in a low bush, differs considerably from those of all other Honey-eaters with which I am acquainted, particularly in the character of the material forming the lining. It is the largest and warmest of all, and is usually formed of ribbons of stringy bark, mixed with grass, and the cocoons of spiders; towards the cavity it is more neatly built, and is lined internally with opossum's or kangaroo's fur. In some instances the hair-like material from the base of the large leaf-stalks of the tree-fern is employed for the lining, and in others there is merely a flooring of wiry grasses or fine twigs. The eggs, which are either two or three in number, are of the most delicate fleshy buff, rather strongly but sparsely spotted with small prominent roundish dots of chestnut-red, intermingled with which are a few indistinct spots of purplish grey. The average length of the egg is eleven lines, and the breadth eight lines."

The BRUSH WATTLE BIRDS (Melichæra) are recognisable by their powerful body, strong and slightly curved beak, comparatively short foot, short rounded wing, and long, wedge-shaped, tapering tail.

THE TRUE BRUSH WATTLE BIRD.

The TRUE BRUSH WATTLE BIRD (Melichæra mellivora) is deep brownish grey on the back, each feather having a white stripe in the centre. The feathers on the throat and breast are brown, tipped with white; the rest of the under side appears lighter than the back, owing to the greater size of the white shaft-stripe. The upper quills are chestnut-brown on the inner web, and the rest brown tipped with white, as are the tail-feathers. The eye is grey, the beak black, and the foot brown. This species is about eleven inches long; the wing measures four inches and a quarter, and the tail five inches and one-sixth.

These birds inhabit all such parts of Tasmania, New South Wales, and South Australia as offer them the shelter of their favourite Banksias. Everywhere they are numerous, and display the utmost confidence and fearlessness towards man. In disposition they are lively, active, and so pugnacious as to live in a state of constant warfare with all their feathered companions. "The Brush Wattle Bird," says Gould, "is a bold and spirited species, evincing a considerable degree of pugnacity, fearlessly attacking and driving away all other birds from the part of the tree on which it is feeding, and there are few of the Honey-eaters whose actions are more sprightly and animated. During the months of spring the male perches on some elevated branch, and screams forth its harsh and peculiar notes, which have not unaptly been said to resemble a person in the act of vomiting; whence the Australian name of 'Goo-gwar-ruck,' in which the natives have endeavoured to imitate these very singular sounds. While thus employed, it frequently jerks up its tail, throws up its head, and distends its throat, as if great exertion were required to force out these harsh and guttural sounds. The Banksias are in blossom during the greater portion of the year, and the early flower, as it expands, is diligently examined by the Wattle Bird, which inserts its long feathery tongue into the interstices of every part, extracting the pollen and insects, in searching for which it clings to and hangs about the blossoms in every variety of position. The breeding season commences in September, and lasts for three months. The very small nest is round in shape, open at the top, and formed of delicate twigs and fibres. This pretty little structure is usually placed in the fork of a branch, at the height of a few feet from the ground. The two or three eggs are bright red, spotted slightly with dark brown; these markings are most numerous at the broad end."

THE POE, OR TUI.

The POE, or TUI (Prosthemadera circinata), is readily distinguished by the two remarkable tufts of feathers that decorate each side of the throat; in other respects its formation closely resembles that of its congeners. The coloration of the plumage is principally of a deep metallic green, which appears black in some lights, and in others shines like bronze. The back is umber-brown, but glistens with the same varying shades. A white line passes over the shoulders, and the long feathers on the nape are enlivened by white streaks upon the shafts. The strange tufts on the sides of the throat to which we have alluded are pure white, and form a dazzling contrast to the dark plumage by which they are surrounded. The belly is deep umber-brown; the quills and tail-feathers black, very glossy and resplendent above, and quite lustreless on the lower side. This species is twelve inches long. The wing measures five inches and a half, and the tail four inches and a half. Layard tells us that of all the feathered inhabitants of the New Zealand forests the Poe is most certain to attract the notice of the traveller, as it flutters noisily from branch to branch, or sails in airy circles over the tree tops. It is not uncommon to see eight or ten of these birds at a time turning somersaults as they circle after each other, or rise and sink with outspread wings and tail, until at last they return to seek repose after their gambols under the sheltering branches of the trees. The Poe has been frequently described as the most wonderful of songsters, and some writers have gone so far as to declare that its performance far exceeds that of the Nightingale, both in beauty of tone and clearness of execution. Such accounts as these are, in our opinion, much exaggerated, though we admit that it certainly ranks with the finest songsters inhabiting Australia. The food of the Poe, we are told, consists of insects, in search of which it exhibits a very restless activity. It also devours berries and earthworms. This species possesses a most wonderful talent for imitating the notes of all the feathered inhabitants of the woods; hence it is sometimes called the Mocking Bird. In confinement it also learns to mimic other sounds, such as the noises of dogs, cats, or poultry, and readily pronounces long sentences with great correctness.

The FRIAR BIRDS (Tropidorhyncus) are recognisable from all their congeners by a knob at the base of the upper mandible, a bare place on the head and throat, and the long feathers that adorn the nape or breast. The tongue is provided at its extremity with a double brush-like appendage.

THE "LEATHERHEAD."

The "LEATHERHEAD" (Tropidorhyncus corniculatus) is greyish brown on the back and brownish grey upon the under side, a long lancet-shaped feather on the breast, and the chin-feathers, are of a pure glossy white, delicately spotted with brown; the tail is tipped with white. The eye is red, but turns brown after death; the beak, and some bare places on the head, are of silky blackness, and the feet lead-grey. The female is smaller than her mate, and the young are distinguishable from the adult birds by the inferior size of the knob on the beak and of the breast-feathers; the bare places on the head are also smaller. This species is about twelve inches long, the wing measures five inches and three-quarters, and the tail four inches and two-thirds.

Gould tells us that in New South Wales these birds are very common during the summer, and are especially numerous in the thick brushwood near the coast. Their undulatory flight is strong, and their movements amongst the branches nimble and adroit; it is by no means uncommon to see them hanging head downwards from a branch to which they attach themselves solely by one of their powerful claws; such formidable use, indeed, do they make of these sharp weapons, that he who unwarily seizes a wounded bird is sure to receive a series of deep and really painful wounds in repayment of his temerity.

THE POE, OR TUI (Prosthemadera circinata).

The strange cry of this species has been supposed to resemble the words, "Poor soldier," "Pimlico," and "Four o'clock," while the bare places on its head have procured for it the names of "Monk," "Friar," and "Leatherhead." Figs, berries, insects, and the pollen from the gum-tree blossoms constitute its favourite and principal means of existence. At the approach of the breeding season, which commences about November, the males become more than usually active and bold, chasing and doing battle with even the most formidable of their feathered brethren should they intrude upon the privacy of the brooding female. The comparatively large and cup-shaped nest is roughly formed of bark, twigs, and wool; the interior lined with more delicate materials. This structure is generally suspended from an upright branch of a gum or apple tree (Angophora), and is often found at but a few feet from the ground. In the well-wooded plains of Aberdeen and Yarrund, on the upper part of the Hunter, this species breeds in such numbers that the nests may almost be described as forming settlements. The eggs, usually three in number, are pale red, delicately spotted with a deeper shade.

The HOOPOES (Upupa) may be regarded as the most aberrant of the Tenuirostral group. They are moderately large, and slenderly formed; their beak is long, slender, higher than it is broad, and in some species much curved; the small, oval, and open nostrils are situated immediately beneath the feathers that cover the brow; the strength of the foot varies considerably; the wings (in which the fourth and fifth quills are the longest) are much rounded; the tail, formed of ten feathers, is either short and straight at its extremity or long and graduated. The compact and variegated plumage differs considerably as to its coloration, and but little variety is observable between the two sexes.

THE HOOPOE.

The COMMON HOOPOE (Upupa epops) is recognisable by its elongate body; long, slender, slightly curved, and pointed beak (which is much compressed at its sides); and short powerful foot armed with blunt claws. The wing is decidedly rounded; the tail of moderate size, composed of broad feathers, and straight at its extremity. The soft, lax plumage, which is prolonged into a crest on the top of the head, is much variegated, and almost alike in the various species with which we are acquainted. Reddish brown of a more or less lively hue usually predominates in its coloration, while the wings and tail are striped with white. In the Common Hoopoe the upper portion of the body is of reddish brown, variegated with black and yellowish white on the middle of the back, and on the shoulder and wings. The crest is of a deep reddish yellow, tipped with black; the under side is bright reddish yellow, spotted with black on the sides of the belly; the black tail is striped with white about its centre. All the colours in the plumage of the female are duller than in that of her mate. The young are recognisable by the comparative smallness of their crest. The eye is deep brown, the beak greyish black, and the foot lead-grey. The length of this species is about ten and its breadth eighteen inches. The wing measures five, and the tail four inches.

The greater portion of Europe, Northern Africa, and Central Asia are inhabited by these birds, which are specially numerous in the more southern portions of those regions, and instances are recorded of stragglers having been seen as far north as the Loffoden Isles. In some of the central provinces of Europe they appear about the end of March, and leave again in pairs, or small parties, at the commencement of autumn. Such as inhabit North-eastern Africa do not migrate, but merely wander at certain seasons over the surface of the country. In Southern Europe these birds frequent the vineyards, but in North-eastern Africa they prefer the immediate vicinity of towns and villages, and render great benefits to the inhabitants by assisting the Vultures, whose proceedings we have already described, in their revolting but most valuable labours.

Anything like sociability is unknown to this bird; each lives for its mate or its family alone, and carries on a constant warfare with all its neighbours. Strange to say, however, if taken young from the nest they soon become extraordinarily tame, and learn to obey and follow those who feed them with all the fidelity and devotion of a favourite dog. Carrion, beetles, larvæ, caterpillars, ants, and many other kinds of insects are devoured by the Common Hoopoe in large numbers, its long beak enabling it to search for its victims in any hole or crevice into which they may have crept. Large beetles are killed by repeated blows, and by crushing them against the ground until the wings and feet have been broken off. The morsel is then tossed aloft and dextrously caught and swallowed. The young birds are at first unable to perform this rather difficult feat, and, therefore, require to be fed by those who may wish to rear them. It would appear that but little care or fastidiousness is exhibited in selecting a spot suitable for building their nests: trees, fissures in walls, houses, or holes in the ground are indiscriminately employed; and Pallas mentions having found a nest containing seven young in the thorax of a human skeleton. Dry grass, roots, and cow-dung are the materials employed in the construction of the nest. The brood consists of from four to seven small elongate eggs, with a dirty greenish white or yellowish grey shell, occasionally finely spotted with white. The female alone broods, and the young are hatched in a fortnight. Both parents assist in the task of feeding their charge, and tend them with much affection; this care, however, does not extend to clearing away such daily accumulations as are usually removed, and the consequence is that before the family are fully fledged the nest has become a mere mass of seething flies and maggots, giving forth a stench from which the birds themselves are only freed after having been exposed for many successive days to the pure winds of heaven.

The TREE HOOPOES (Irrisor) inhabit the forests of Africa, and are recognisable by their slender body, long beak, short foot and wing, and long tail. The slightly-curved beak has a ridge at its margin, and is compressed at its sides. The powerful tarsus is much shorter than the centre toe, which, like the rest, is armed with a strong hooked claw. The fourth and fifth quills of the rounded wing exceed the rest in length; and the broad tail is much graduated. Those species with which we are familiar inhabit the forests of Central and Southern Africa, and pass their lives exclusively upon trees.

THE RED-BEAKED TREE HOOPOE.

The RED-BEAKED TREE HOOPOE (Irrisor erythrorhyncus). The prevailing colour of this species is a beautiful metallic blue, shimmering with dark green and purple. The inner web of the first three quills is decorated by a single white spot, whilst the six next in order have two white spots. The three first tail-feathers are similarly adorned, and are also marked with white near the tip. The eye is brown, and the beak and foot bright red. The female is smaller, and her plumage less glossy. The young are deep green, nearly black, and almost lustreless. This species is from seventeen to eighteen inches long, and eighteen inches and a half broad. The wing measures six, and the tail nine inches.

According to our own observations these beautiful birds principally inhabit the forests of North-eastern Africa, and are usually met with hopping or climbing incessantly from tree to tree, or bough to bough, in parties of from four to ten. These parties exhibit extraordinary unanimity in their manner of proceeding, and in all their movements seem to be playing an active game of follow-my-leader. Should one member of the little society suspend itself from a branch, all the rest immediately do the same; and even when uttering their cry as they rise into the air, the sounds are often so simultaneous that it is almost impossible to distinguish the individual voices. Ants and, according to some authorities, various kinds of insects, constitute their principal food. Few birds exhibit such strong attachment to their companions as we have frequently observed amongst groups of Tree Hoopoes; it is not uncommon for them to remain close together as though for mutual defence until repeated shots from the hunter's gun have brought one of the party to the ground, when the rest come rushing down, flapping their wings and uttering loud cries as they settle on the branches depending over the spot on which the victim lies. Despite the shortness of their legs, they run over the ground with tolerable ease. Their flight alternates between a gentle gliding motion and a series of rapid strokes with the pinions. Le Vaillant tells us that the female deposits her bluish green eggs, from four to six in number, at the bottom of a hole in a tree, and is assisted in the labour of incubation by her mate.

The TREE-CLIMBERS (Anabata) constitute a family of South American birds, with slender bodies, short wings, and long tails. Their straight or but slightly curved beak is strong, and of the same length as the head. The tarsi are of medium height; the toes small, armed with short and slightly-curved claws. The fourth quill of the wings is the longest. The very decidedly graduated tail is composed of twelve short feathers. All the members of this family inhabit forest or woodland districts, and but rarely venture forth into the open country. Insects form almost exclusively their means of subsistence; and in search of these they climb the branches with an agility fully equalling that of the Titmouse. Many species are remarkable for the peculiarity and loudness of their cry. Their nests, which are usually suspended from the trees, and closed above, are frequently very striking in appearance.

THE HOOPOE (Upupa epops).

The BUNDLE-NESTS (Phacellodomus) are recognisable by their short, almost straight beak, which is much compressed, and very slightly hooked towards its tip. The tarsi are high and strong; the wings rounded; and the broad tail formed of narrow, soft feathers.

THE RED-FRONTED BUNDLE-NEST, OR CLIMBING THRUSH.

The RED-FRONTED BUNDLE-NEST, or CLIMBING THRUSH (Phacellodomus rufifrons), is of a light brownish greenish grey on the upper parts of the body, and light brownish white on the under side. The quills are greyish brown, with a reddish gloss on the outer web; the brow is deep rust-red, and a stripe over the eyes pure white. The eye is grey, the upper mandible dark greyish brown, and the lower one whitish grey. The foot is pale blueish grey. This species measures six inches and a quarter, the wing two inches and a quarter, and the tail two inches and a half.

THE RED OVEN BIRD (Furnarius rufus).

The Prince von Wied tells us he only met with these elegant little birds upon the arid interior highland tracts of Geroes and Bahia, where they inhabited the open country, and passed their time in hopping or flying from one bush or tree to another. As regards its nidification, the Prince von Wied remarks, "I found the nests of the Phacellodomus rufifrons about February; they were usually suspended on the low, slender branches of high trees. Those I saw are best described as large oval bundles, often more than three feet long, and formed of thin twigs heaped together and interwoven with each other, or fastened together by a variety of materials. The interior was filled with small bundles of moss, hair, wool, or fibres interlaced, so as to form a warm and compact lining. The small round hole that serves as an entrance is situated at the bottom of this suspended mass, so that the birds ascend from below into their huge domicile. Year by year these nests are added to and enlarged until at last it is not uncommon to find that they have so increased in size as to render it a difficult task for a man to stir one of them. On opening a nest of this description a row of chambers is seen, under the one last made." These ancient apartments are, we believe, frequently employed as retiring-rooms for the male parent. Swainson tells us that these strange and shapeless masses are very conspicuous features in the landscape. The brood usually consists of four eggs, which are round in shape, and generally of a pure white.

The OVEN BIRDS (Furnarius) possess a moderately strong beak, either quite straight or slightly curved, compressed at its sides, and almost equalling the head in length; the blunt wing is of medium size, its third quill is the longest, while its first is considerably, and its second slightly shortened; the short tail is composed of soft feathers; the tarsus is high, and the toes strong; the claws are somewhat hooked, but only the first is of any considerable size. These birds frequent both open woodlands and inhabited districts; they live for the most part on the ground, as their powers of flight and climbing are very limited. Their voice is loud, harsh, and peculiar. The strange nests built by the members of this group, and from which their name is derived, have been described by Azara, the Prince von Wied, Burmeister, Darwin, and other writers. "After passing over the lofty chain of mountains that separate the well-wooded coasts of Brazil from the Campos, travellers are astonished at beholding large, melon-shaped masses of clay standing erect upon the branches of the high trees surrounding the settlers' houses. Were it not for the regularity of their size and shape, a stranger would at once pronounce these masses of clay to be nests built by the termite ants. On closer inspection of one of these the eye detects an oval-shaped hole at the side, and a little patience is rewarded by a sight of the actual inhabitant of this most remarkable nest as he slips in and out of the entrance to his strange abode. This bird, known to us as the Furnarius rufus, is called the João de Barro, or Clay Jack, by the Brazilians." We learn from Darwin that these nests are also placed in such exposed situations as the top of a post, a bare rock, or on a cactus, and are composed of mud and bits of straw. The strong, thick walls in shape precisely resemble an oven, or a depressed bee-hive. The opening is large, and directly in front; within the nest there is a partition, which reaches nearly to the roof, thus forming a passage or antechamber to the true nest.

THE RED OVEN BIRD.

The RED OVEN BIRD (Furnarius rufus) is about seven inches long and ten and a half broad; the wing measures three inches and three-quarters, and the tail three inches. The plumage is principally of a reddish yellow; the top of the head brownish red, and the quills brown; the under side is of a lighter tint, and the throat pale white; a bright reddish yellow stripe passes from the eyes to the back of the head; the quills are grey, the primaries edged with pale yellow towards their base, and the tail-feathers yellowish red; the eyes are yellowish brown, the beak brown, except at the whitish base of the lower mandible; the foot is also brown.

These strange birds live in pairs, and but rarely associate, even in small parties. Their food consists of insects and various kinds of seeds, the former, according to Burmeister, being always obtained from the surface of the ground, over which they run and hop with great facility. Nor are their movements less adroit amongst the branches, from whence their most peculiar cry is constantly to be heard as they disport themselves from bough to bough. These birds are regarded with great respect by the Brazilians, on account of a very strange but prevalent idea that they never proceed with their building operations on the Sabbath, a superstitious fancy that we need hardly say has been frequently disproved, but has no doubt arisen from the unusually short time required by this species to complete its remarkable and elaborate home.

"The nest of the Red Oven Bird," says Burmeister, "is usually constructed upon the branch of a tree, and occasionally upon house-tops, steeples, or similar situations. Both male and female unite in the labour of building, and form their nests of round pellets of mud, working each pellet firmly into place, intermixed with small portions of plants, until the foundation is some eight or nine inches high. On each end of this groundwork the birds proceed to erect a side wall of such a form and height as to give the entire mass the appearance of a half-crescent. When this foundation is quite dry a second wall of similar shape is erected within the first. This again is left to dry, and so the work proceeds until the mass has assumed the proper dome-like form, and is six or seven inches in height, eight or nine inches long, and some four or five inches deep. The interior of this remarkable structure (which sometimes weighs as much as nine pounds) is entered by an oval-shaped hole at the side, and is neatly and warmly lined with hay, cotton, wool, feathers, or similar materials. The eggs, from two to four in number, have a white shell, and are incubated by both parents. The first brood is produced early in September, and a second later in the season."

The GROUND WOODPECKERS (Geositta) are birds with slender bodies, long, pointed wings, and short incised tails; the slightly curved beak is triangular at its base, and nearly equals the head in length; the legs are of medium height, the outer toes short, and the claws small.

THE BURROWING GROUND WOODPECKER.

The BURROWING GROUND WOODPECKER (Geositta cunicularia) is of a deep brown on the upper portions of the body and wings; the under side is pale brown, the throat whitish, breast spotted and striped with black, and the belly rust-red. The region of the eye is pale red, the shoulder-feathers have light edges, and the exterior quills are bordered and tipped with blackish brown, and shaded with red upon the inner web. The eye is brown, the beak whitish at its base and black towards its tip; the feet are blackish brown. According to Kittlitz these birds inhabit the barren plains of Chili and Patagonia, and are met with on the Bolivian Cordilleras to a height of from 3,500 to 4,500 feet above the level of the sea. We learn from the same authority that in its general habits the Geositta cunicularia closely resembles the Common Lark.

"The Casaeita, as this bird is called by the natives," says Darwin, "builds its nest at the bottom of a narrow cylindrical hole, which is said to extend horizontally to nearly six feet under ground, in any low bank of sandy soil by the side of a wood or stream. Here, at Bahia Blanca, the walls of those I have seen are built of hardened mud. I noticed that a bank that enclosed the courtyard of the house where I lodged was penetrated by round holes in a score of places. On asking the owner the cause of this, he explained that they were made by the Casaeitas, several of which I afterwards saw at work. It is strange that though the birds were constantly flitting over the low wall they were evidently incapable of forming an idea as to its thickness, otherwise they would not have made so many vain attempts. I do not doubt that each bird as it came to daylight on the opposite side was greatly surprised at the marvellous fact."

Gray tells us that this species is extremely tame, and almost constantly in motion. The stomachs of such as he examined contained the remains of beetles; whilst Kittlitz mentions having only found seeds and small stones. At certain seasons the call is a shrill, tremulous note.

The STAIR-BEAKS (Xenops) are a group of Brazilian birds, possessing a very peculiar formation of beak, the lower mandible being graduated upwards, whilst the upper portion of the bill is quite straight. The tail is formed of soft, rounded feathers, and the feet are powerful. We learn from the Prince von Wied that the members of this group associate in pairs, or small parties, and lead a very quiet, retired life within their native forests. Their food consists principally of insects, and whilst in search of these they tap upon the bark of the tree after the manner of the Woodpecker. According to our own experience they will also eat some kinds of nuts. The nest is usually placed in a hole in a tree. The various species, as far as we have ascertained, have nothing striking or peculiar in their cry.

THE HAIRY-CHEEKED STAIR-BEAK.

The HAIRY-CHEEKED STAIR-BEAK (Xenops genibarbis), an inhabitant of the Brazilian forests, is olive-brown on the upper parts of the body, greyish brown beneath, and white on the breast; a yellowish white line passes over the eyes, and there is a white patch behind the ear; the wings are striped with two shades of brown; the centre tail-feathers are reddish brown, the rest become deeper in shade towards the exterior; the outermost are almost black, spotted with rust-red. The length of this species is about four inches; the wing measures two inches, and the tail one inch and a half.

THE HAIRY-CHEEKED STAIR-BEAK (Xenops genibarbis).

Numerous specimens of these birds were captured by Burmeister in the vicinity of Neufreiburg, where they came even into his garden, and ran gaily along the branches like Tree Creepers.

The NUTHATCHES (Sitta) are recognisable by their very compact body, moderate beak and tail, long wings, and powerful feet. The strong, hard beak is straight above, but bulges outwards below, and is very sharply pointed at its extremity; the nostrils are round, situated beneath the brow, and covered with short hairs. The tarsi are short and the toes long, the inner and centre toes being only slightly connected, while the exterior and centre toes are united as far as the first joint; the large pointed nails are much hooked; the broad, blunt wing, in which the third and fourth quills exceed the rest in length, is soft and flexible; the short, broad tail is formed of twelve weak feathers, so pliable in texture as to render that member quite useless for climbing. The sexes are almost alike in colour, the plumage of both being usually of a blueish grey above and brownish red beneath; the young closely resemble their parents. Almost every part of the world, if we except Central and Southern Africa and South America, affords a home to some members of this family; and everywhere forests and woodland districts are their principal resort, but they are also occasionally found in rocky localities. So extraordinary are the climbing powers of these birds that they not only exhibit unrivalled agility when disporting themselves in their favourite trees, but are actually capable of descending a perpendicular wall or mass of rock; a feat, we believe, never attempted by any other members of the feathered creation. All the various groups remain throughout the entire year in their native lands, and merely wander to a short distance from their birthplace after the breeding season. Insects and seeds of various kinds afford them means of subsistence. The nest is placed in a hole of a tree, or a fissure in a rock or wall, the entrance being carefully covered with clay or similar material. The eggs, from six to nine in number, have a light shell, spotted with red.

THE COMMON NUTHATCH (Sitta cæsia).

THE COMMON NUTHATCH.

The COMMON NUTHATCH (Sitta cæsia) is deep grey on the mantle, and reddish yellow on the under side; a black stripe passes across the eyes to the nape; the chin and throat are white, the sides and lower tail-covers reddish brown, and the quills blackish grey, with light borders (those at the exterior are white at the root); the centre tail-feathers are blueish grey, the rest deep black, marked with blueish grey at the tip; those at the exterior are also decorated with white spots. The eye is brown, the beak light grey above and deep grey on its lower portion, and the foot greyish yellow. This species is six inches long, and ten broad; the wing measures three inches and a quarter, and the tail one inch and two-thirds. The female is distinguished from her mate by her inferior size, the comparative paleness of her under side, and the narrowness of the black line across the eyes.

The Sitta Europæa is a very similar species, also inhabiting Europe. These birds are met with in all parts of our continent, from Jutland to the most southern latitudes, and are usually to be seen in pairs or small parties. Although they by no means avoid the society of man, they principally frequent woods and forests, but leave these retreats during the autumn, to wander for a time over the surrounding country. Insects, spiders, seeds, and berries constitute the principal food of the Nuthatches, and they also occasionally swallow gravel or small stones, in order to assist digestion.

The eggs, from six to nine in number, are laid about May; these are white, marked and spotted with deep red. The female alone broods, and the eggs are hatched within a fortnight. Both parents assist in the labour of instructing and tending the little family, and rear them principally upon caterpillars. The young remain in the nest until fully fledged, and do not begin life on their own account until after the moulting season.

THE SYRIAN NUTHATCH.

The SYRIAN NUTHATCH (Sitta Syriaca) is somewhat larger than the species above described, from which it also differs in its mode of life and habits. The upper parts of the body are greyish blue, and the under side partially of a yellowish shade; the throat, a large portion of the breast, and the centre of the belly are white; the tail is grey, spotted with yellowish brown on the inner web of the exterior feathers.

This species, which is somewhat larger than the bird last described, is commonly met with in Greece, and is also found in Syria, and on the lofty mountains between Bosnia and Dalmatia. Everywhere it exclusively frequents rocky heights, ascending and descending the most precipitous declivities with the utmost facility. It never enters forests, but occasionally seeks shelter in detached clumps of trees. Insects, seeds, and berries afford it the means of existence, and when in quest of these it displays activity and cleverness fully equalling its congeners.

The strange, penetrating cry of the Syrian Nuthatch closely resembles a burst of shrill laughter. Muhle tells us that the nest is constructed in a nook in some rock, so situated that it is warmed by the rays of the sun, either in the morning or at noon. The nest itself is about eleven inches long, and carefully formed of clay; the entrance passage sometimes terminates in a cavity, warmly lined with different kinds of hair. The exterior wall, according to Muhle, is frequently decorated with the wings of some species of beetles. The eggs, usually eight or nine in number, have a white shell, spotted with red, and are laid about May. The female is so devoted to her young that she may be taken by hand while engaged in the duty of incubation.

The CREEPERS (Sittella) inhabit New Holland, and are distinguishable from the members of the group above described by their awl-shaped beak, which is much compressed at its sides, and notched at the extremity of the upper mandible. The second and third quills in the wing are the longest, and extend as far as the end of the short even tail. As regards their general habits, these birds closely resemble the other members of their family; the nests, however, are entirely different, both as to position and structure.

THE BONNETED CREEPER.

The BONNETED CREEPER (Sittella pileata), a species inhabiting South-western Australia, is black on the top of the head, greyish brown on the nape and back, and blackish brown on the wings; the brow, a stripe over the eyes, the throat, breast, and centre of the belly are all white, the two latter shaded with greyish brown toward the side; the quills are blackish brown, with a reddish brown patch in their centre, and a greyish brown tip. The eye is yellowish brown, the beak yellow at its base and black at its tip; the foot is yellow. The length of this bird is four inches and three-quarters, the wing measures three inches and a half, and the tail one inch and a half.

Gould tells us that these Creepers exhibit great facility in climbing and descending the branches of trees, and are usually seen frequenting their favourite haunts in small parties. Although endowed with very considerable powers of flight, they rarely employ their wings, except when desirous of attaining a neighbouring tree. Their cry is a short, weak, piping note. The small nest, which is usually placed upright on the foot of a branch, is smoothly and artistically formed of strips of bark, fastened together by spiders' webs. Incubation commences in September. The eggs, three in number, are white, marked with circular green spots.

The WALL CREEPERS (Tichodroma) are recognisable by their compact body, short neck, large head, and very long, thin, and almost rounded beak, which is slightly curved and pointed at its tip. The feet are strong, the toes slender, and armed with large hooked and pointed claws. The first quill of the small, rounded wing is very short, and the fourth or fifth longer than the rest; the short tail is formed of soft, broad feathers, rounded at their tips. The lax, silky plumage is usually bright in hue, but varies in its coloration at different seasons. The tongue, which resembles that of the Woodpecker, is three-quarters of an inch long, sharp at its extremity, and furnished with numerous bristle-like hooks.

THE ALPINE OR RED-WINGED WALL CREEPER.

The ALPINE or RED-WINGED WALL CREEPER (Tichodroma muraria) is principally of an ash-grey tint; the region of the throat is black in winter and white in summer; the wings and tail are mostly black; but all the quills of the former, from the third to the fifteenth, are of a bright red towards the base, as are the smaller shoulder-feathers, and a narrow border on the outer web of the large wing-covers. The quills are decorated with white or yellow spots on the inner web, and the tail-feathers are bordered with white; the eye is brown; the beak and foot are black. This species is six inches and one-third long, and ten inches and a half broad; the wing measures three inches and a half, the tail two inches and a quarter; the beak is from eighteen to twenty lines long.

This interesting bird is very commonly met with upon the Alps, Pyrenees, Apennines, Balkan, Carpathian, and other mountains. Rüppell saw it on the Altai and Abyssinian ranges. Jerdon tells us that it is common on the Himalayas, and is also found in Cashmere and Afghanistan.

"This bird," writes Jerdon, "is found throughout the Himalayas, from whence it descends in winter to the Alpine parts of the Punjab. It is also found in Cashmere, Afghanistan, and the southern parts of Europe. I saw it frequently near Darjeeling, but only in the winter, at a height of from 2,500 to 5,000 feet or so. I first met with it in a tea plantation at Kursim, hunting along some small, bare ravines that the heat of the sun had made in the ground, and occasionally on the bank of a road. I have also seen it on a rock by the wayside, and on perpendicular cliffs along some of the rivers. It looks very beautiful when flitting about, the fine red on its wings fully displayed; and, indeed, has the appearance rather of a butterfly than a bird. Such specimens as I have examined had eaten spiders and coleoptera." This species has no call-note. In Europe it descends from the Alps, and is found on walls of old buildings, whence the name given by Linnæus. It is stated to breed in clefts and holes of rocks, and in old buildings. The eggs, we are told, are of a fine bright red.

The smallest of the Climbing Birds may be conveniently divided into two groups, the TREE CREEPERS and TREE PeCKERS.

The TRUE TREE CREEPERS (Certhia) are very small and slender, with delicate, sharply-pointed beaks, more or less curved, weak feet, and long toes, armed with large, hooked, and sharp claws. The wings, of which the third or fourth quills exceed the rest in length, are blunt, and formed of weak feathers; the long, narrow, conical tail is divided into two points at its tip, and formed of strong feathers; the lax, soft plumage is of a brownish hue above, and white beneath; the horny tongue has a sharp margin, the tip is thread-like, and the base is furnished with tooth-like appendages. These birds principally inhabit the Eastern Hemisphere and North America.

THE ALPINE WALL CREEPER (Tichodroma muraria).

The TREE PECKERS are more powerfully formed than the above-mentioned birds. Their beak is comparatively long, more or less curved, and very sharply pointed at its tip; the feet are short, the toes long, armed with high, sharp, and much-curved claws; the wing, in which the third or fourth quill is the longest, is pointed; the long, stiff tail usually terminates in two points; the plumage is of a uniform tint on the back, but variegated on the under side; the tongue is horny at its tip.

The above groups resemble each other so closely in their habits that one description will suffice for them both; and, to avoid confusion, we shall combine them under the general name of—

TREE CLIMBERS (Scandentes). The Tree Climbers pass their time within the shelter of their native woods, keeping together in pairs or families; some species, however, associate with other birds, and in their company make short excursions within the boundaries of their forest home. Insects, eggs, larvæ, spiders, and similar fare constitute their principal means of support. In search of these the larger species bore the bark of trees after the manner of the Woodpecker, while the weaker members of the group obtain a meal by exploring holes and crannies in the trunks and branches by the aid of their sharp beaks. The voices of all are insignificant, and their habits generally quiet and unsocial. Almost all build a large nest within the shelter of a tree-hole.

THE COMMON TREE CREEPER.

The COMMON TREE CREEPER (Certhia familiaris) is of a deep grey, spotted with white, the under side being entirely of pure white; the bridles and rump are brownish grey, the latter shaded with yellowish red; a white stripe passes over the eyes. The quills are deep brownish grey, and all except the first are tipped with white, and have a whitish yellow line across the centre; the tail-feathers are brownish grey, those at the exterior edged with light yellow. The eye is dark brown, the upper mandible black, and the lower portion of the beak reddish grey, as is the foot. The length of this species is five, and its breadth seven inches; the wing measures two inches and one-third, and the tail two inches and one-sixth.

THE COMMON TREE CREEPER (Certhia familiaris).

The Common Tree Creeper is an inhabitant of the woodland districts and orchards of Europe and Siberia, and is frequently found at a considerable elevation on such mountains as are not entirely destitute of trees. Like other members of its family, it remains within a certain limited tract during the breeding season, and after that period wanders over the surrounding country in company with Titmice, Woodpeckers, and other birds. Its flight is rapid, but unsteady; and during the greater part of the year it is restricted to the slight effort required to pass from one tree to another. Upon the ground its movements are extremely awkward; it is only among the branches that it displays the wonderful activity of which it is capable. Its cry closely resembles that of the Golden-crested Wren. Towards man it exhibits the utmost friendliness, and frequently ventures close to his dwellings, or even occasionally makes its nest within some tempting hole in an old house or wall.

During the summer the temperament of the Tree Creeper is joyous and brisk, but wintry weather soon renders it dull and uneasy. No doubt this very visible discomfort arises in some measure from the impossibility of keeping its feathers in the neat, trim state in which it delights at other seasons of the year.

Holes and fissures are usually employed by this species, both for building purposes and as sleeping places. The nest, which varies considerably in size, is formed of dry twigs, grass, leaves, straw, or bark, woven together with spiders' webs, and lined with feathers and fibres of various kinds. The chamber of the young is round and deep, and so compactly and neatly finished off as to render it a real work of art. The brood consists of eight or nine white eggs, spotted with red, and deceptively like those of the Titmouse. Both parents assist in the labour of incubation, and feed their hungry family with great devotion. The young usually remain for a long time in the nest, but if alarmed will scramble out, and hurry along the branches to some safe retreat, even before they are fully fledged. The female lays twice during the summer, the first time about April, and again in June. The second brood rarely consists of more than from three to five eggs.

THE SABRE-BILL.

The SABRE-BILL (Xiphorhynchus trochilirostris) is readily known by its unusually long, slender, sickle-shaped beak, and short tail. The wings, in which the fourth quill is the longest, are also comparatively short, and the legs are slender. The tongue is short, and broad at its tip. The plumage is of a dull olive-brown, streaked with yellowish white on the head, throat, and breast; the wings and tail are deep reddish brown; the eye is brown, the beak reddish brown, and the foot of a dull brownish hue. This species is nine inches and a half long, and eleven and a quarter broad; the wing measures three inches and three-quarters, the tail three inches and a quarter, and the beak two inches and one-third.

"I found this strange bird," says the Prince von Wied, "in the vast, unbroken forests that extend from Ilheos to Bahia, where it lives in pairs upon the trees from which it gathers the insects and beetles upon which it subsists."

THE WOODPECKER TREE-CHOPPER.

The WOODPECKER TREE-CHOPPER (Dendroplex picus) is recognisable by its straight, pointed beak, which is much compressed at its sides, and furnished with a high sharp ridge at its culmen. The wing is comparatively short, the tail long, and the foot large. The plumage is entirely of a reddish brown, the feathers on the head, throat, and breast being enlivened by broad white patches, surrounded by a greyish brown margin. This bird is eight inches long; the wing measures four and the tail three inches.

The Dendroplex picus is found over almost the whole of South America, and everywhere frequents the primitive forests, obtaining its food from the bark of trees, after the manner of the True Woodpeckers. At the conclusion of the breeding season it quits its native fastnesses with its companions, and ventures freely down, even near the abode of man. The voice is clear, but confined to one note. The eggs are laid in the holes of trees.

The WOODPECKERS (Picida), the last group of the tree-climbing races, possess a slender body and powerful peak, which is usually straight, conical, and furnished with a sharp ridge at its culmen. The short, strong feet turn inwards; the toes are long, and placed in pairs, the exterior pair being connected as far as the first joint; the hinder toe, which is the smallest of all, is so situated as to pair with the innermost and longest toe; in some instances this short fourth toe is but slightly developed, or entirely wanting; the claws are long, strong, very sharp, and much hooked. The wings are rounded, and of medium size; their ten primaries are narrow and pointed, whilst the secondaries (from nine to ten in number) are broader, but not much shorter, than the primary quills. Of these latter, the first is very small, those next in order graduated to the third or fourth, which is the longest. The very remarkable tail is formed of ten large and two small feathers. These latter are placed above instead of under the rest; the centre tail-feathers are the largest, and very stiff. The strangely constructed tongue, by the aid of which the Woodpeckers are enabled to capture the small insects upon which they in a great measure subsist, is sharp, barbed, pointed, and endued with a glutinous secretion, derived from glands situated in the throat, and communicating with the mouth by two long ducts, the glutinous coating being thus renewed every time the tongue is drawn within the bill. The plumage of these birds is thick; the feathers on the head (which in some species form a crest) are small and slender, whilst those on the hinder parts of the body are short and broad. The Woodpeckers inhabit the woods and forests of both hemispheres, and are especially numerous in warm latitudes. Fruits, seeds, and insects constitute their food, and in pursuit of the latter they exhibit wonderful dexterity—climbing with astonishing activity upon the trunks and branches of trees; and when, by tapping with their bills, a rotten place has been discovered, they dig at once vigorously in search of the grub or larvæ snugly embedded beneath the bark—thus rendering inestimable service to man, by destroying hosts of insects.

The Woodpeckers both roost and breed in hollow trunks, or holes in trees, enlarged to the requisite size by the aid of their strong, sharp mandibles. The eggs, which are smooth, glossy, and white, vary considerably in number; they are deposited upon a bed of chips, or débris, placed at the bottom of the hole selected for their reception.

The BLACK WOODPECKERS (Dryocopus) comprise the largest and most powerful of the race, and are at once recognisable by the crest that adorns their head, and the prevalence of black in the coloration of their plumage. America must be regarded as the central home of these birds, as there several kinds inhabit every latitude; whilst, in the Eastern Hemisphere, but one species is met with in Europe, and few are found even in India.

THE EUROPEAN BLACK WOODPECKER.

The EUROPEAN BLACK WOODPECKER (Dryocopus martius) has the plumage of a uniform black, with the exception of the top of the head, which is of a bright crimson; in the female the bright feathers are limited to a small patch at the back of the head. The eye of both sexes is pale yellow, the beak pearl-grey, tipped with blueish grey, and the foot lead-colour. The young closely resemble the adult birds. This species is from seventeen to eighteen inches long, and twenty-eight to twenty-nine broad. The wing, in which the fifth quill is the longest, covers two-thirds of the tail, which measures from six inches to six inches and a half; the tarsus is almost entirely covered with feathers, and exceeds the centre toe and claw in length. The strong beak is broader than it is high, and straight at its culmen.

Although all the wooded tracts of Europe, from sixty-eight degrees north latitude as far as Greece and Spain, are inhabited by the Black Woodpecker, it is seldom met with in England, and is but rarely seen in Holland. It also frequents Asia, as far as the northern side of the Himalayas. Everywhere fir and pine forests are its favourite resorts, even when these extend over mountain ranges; indeed, it rarely visits tracts covered with any other description of trees, except during its wanderings from one place to another. Like all other European Woodpeckers, this species does not migrate, and but rarely travels to any great distance from its native haunts.

THE WOODPECKER TREE-CHOPPER (Dendroplex picus).

The Black Woodpecker is shy and retiring in its habits, and, if approached, studiously conceals itself from observation by creeping round the tree or branch on which it happens to be at work. Its food is obtained by perforating the bark or searching the fissures of trees, a process which it performs with great dexterity, the tail being habitually employed as a means of support whilst climbing. The night is passed in holes in the trunk of some old tree; and in a cavity of this description the glossy white eggs are also deposited. We learn from Temminck that the Black Woodpecker lays three eggs; and that when other food is scarce it will eat seeds or berries. Its voice somewhat resembles a harsh, loud laugh.

The GIANT WOODPECKERS (Campephilus), a group comprising the largest members of the family, inhabit America. These birds are characterised by their powerful body, large head, and long, thin neck. Their beak is long, straight, and strongly formed; their feet muscular, and the tarsi unfeathered. Of the toes, the outermost of the hinder pair exceeds the rest in length. The wings and tail are long, the third and fourth quills of the former being the longest. The plumage is black, marked with white. The feathers on the head form a crest, which in the male is of considerable size, and of a red colour.

THE EUROPEAN BLACK WOODPECKER (Dryocopus martius).

Two species of Giant Woodpeckers are worthy of special notice, named respectively the IMPERIAL and the IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKERS.

THE IMPERIAL WOODPECKER.

The IMPERIAL WOODPECKER (Campephilus imperialis) is almost entirely black. A stripe on the shoulders, the tip of the hinder quill, and the lower wing-covers are white, the latter spotted with black on the exterior edge; the crest of the male is scarlet, and that of the female black. This species is above twenty-five inches long; the wing measures twelve and the tail nine inches.

THE IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER.

The IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER (Campephilus principalis) is also black; and the centre as well as the hinder quills are white; the lower wing-covers are striped with black; and the white lines on the shoulder extend to the sides of the head. The eye is bright yellow, the beak as white as ivory, and the foot greyish blue. This bird is twenty-one inches long, and thirty broad; the wing measures ten inches and a half, and the tail seven inches and a quarter.

The Imperial Woodpecker inhabits the mountain tracts of California, as far as the boundaries of Mexico, whilst the Ivory-beak frequents the forests that extend along the Mississippi to the Ohio. We are but little acquainted with the habits of the first-mentioned bird, but are indebted to Audubon for a most graphic description of the life and habits of the Ivory-beak.

"The Ivory-billed Woodpecker," says that writer, "confines its rambles to a comparatively small portion of the United States. Descending to the Ohio, we met with this splendid bird for the first time near the confluence of that river and the Mississippi; after which, following the windings of the latter, either towards the sea or in the direction of the Missouri, we frequently observe it. On the Atlantic coast, North Carolina may be taken as the limit of its distribution, though individuals are occasionally seen in Maryland. To the west of the Mississippi it is found in all the dense forests bordering the streams which empty their waters into that majestic river, from the very declivities of the Rocky Mountains. The lower part of the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi are, however, the favourite resorts of this bird; and in these States it constantly resides, breeds, and passes a life of peaceful enjoyment, finding a profusion of food in all the deep, dark, and gloomy swamps dispersed over them. I wish, kind reader, that it were in my power to present to your mind's eye the favourite resort of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker. Would that I could describe the extent of those deep morasses, overshadowed by millions of gigantic dark cypresses, spreading their sturdy moss-covered branches as if to admonish intruding man to pause and reflect on the many difficulties he must encounter should he persist in venturing farther into their almost inaccessible recesses, extending for miles before him, where he would be interrupted by huge projecting branches, here and there the massive trunk of a fallen and decayed tree, and thousands of creeping and twining plants of numberless species! Would that I could represent to you the dangerous nature of the ground, its oozing, spongy, miry condition, although covered with a beautiful, but treacherous carpeting, composed of the richest mosses, flags, and water-lilies, no sooner receiving the pressure of the foot than it yields, and endangers the very life of the adventurer; whilst here and there, as he approaches an opening that proves merely a lake of black, muddy water, his ear is assailed by the dismal croaking of innumerable frogs, the hissing of serpents, or the bellowing of alligators! Would that I could give you an idea of the sultry, pestiferous atmosphere, that nearly suffocates the intruder during the meridian heat, in those gloomy and horrible swamps!

"The flight of the far-famed Ivory-billed Woodpecker is graceful in the extreme, although seldom prolonged to more than a few hundred yards at a time, unless when it has to cross a large river, which it does in deep undulations, opening its wings at first to their full extent, and nearly closing them to renew the propelling impulse. The transit from one tree to another, even should the distance be as much as a hundred yards, is performed by a single sweep; the bird appears as if merely swinging itself from the top of the one tree to that of the other, forming an elegantly-curved line. At this moment all the beauty of the plumage is exhibited, and strikes the beholder with pleasure. It never utters any sound whilst on the wing, except during the love season; but at all other times no sooner has this bird alighted than its remarkable voice is heard at almost every leap that it makes whilst ascending against the upper parts of the trunk of a tree or its highest branches. Its notes are clear, loud, and rather plaintive; they are heard at a considerable distance, perhaps half a mile, and resemble the false, high note of a clarionet. They are repeated three times in succession, and may be represented by the syllables 'Pait, pait, pait.' These are heard so frequently that the bird spends few minutes of the day without uttering them; and this leads to its destruction, not because, as some suppose, this species is a destroyer of trees, but because it is a beautiful bird, and the rich scales attached to its upper mandible form an ornament for the war-dress of the Indians, or for the shot-pouch of the hunter or squatter.

"The food of this species consists principally of beetles, larvæ, and large grubs; no sooner, however, are the grapes of our forests ripe than they are eaten by the Ivory-billed Woodpecker with great avidity. This bird seldom comes near the ground, but prefers the tops of the tallest trees. Should it, however, discover the half-standing, broken shaft of a large, dead tree, it attacks it in such a manner as nearly to demolish it in the course of a few days. I have seen the remains of some of these ancient monarchs of our forest thus excavated, and that so singularly that the tottering fragments of the trunk appeared to be merely supported by the great pile of chips by which its base was surrounded. The strength of this Woodpecker is such that I have seen it detach pieces of bark seven or eight inches in length at a single blow of its powerful beak; and by beginning at the top branch of a dead tree tear off the bark to an extent of twenty or thirty feet in the course of a few hours, leaping downwards with its body in an upright position, tossing its head to the right and left, or leaning it against the bark to ascertain the precise spot where the grubs were concealed, and immediately after renewing its blows with great vigour, all the while sounding its loud notes, as if highly delighted. This species generally moves in pairs. The female is always the most clamorous and the least shy. Their mutual attachment is, I believe, continued through life. Except when digging a hole for the reception of their eggs, these birds seldom, if ever, attack living trees for any other purpose than that of procuring food, in doing which they destroy insects that would otherwise prove injurious to the trees. I have frequently observed the male and female retiring to rest for the night into the same hole in which, long before, they had reared their young.

"The Ivory-billed Woodpecker nestles earlier than any other species of its tribe. I have observed it boring for that purpose in the beginning of March. The hole, I believe, is always made in the trunk of a live tree, and at a great height. The birds pay great attention to the situation of the tree and the inclination of its trunk, because they prefer retirement, and because they are anxious to secure the aperture against the entrance of water during beating rains; to prevent such a calamity, the hole is generally dug immediately under the junction of a large branch with the trunk. It is first bored horizontally for a few inches, and then directly downwards. The average diameter of the different nests I have examined was about seven inches within, although the entrance, which is perfectly round, is only just large enough to admit the bird. Both birds work most assiduously at this excavation, one waiting outside to encourage the other whilst it is engaged in digging, and when the latter is engaged, taking its place. For the first brood there are generally six eggs. They are deposited on a few chips at the bottom of the hole, and are of a pure white colour. The second brood makes its appearance about the tenth of August."

IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER (Campephilus principalis).

Plate 22. Cassell's Book of Birds

PTILOGONYS ARMILLATUS ____ WHISKERED FANTAIL

(Life size) (Swainson)

[[See larger version]]

"The first place I observed the bird at," says Wilson, "when on my way to the South, was about twelve miles north of Wilmington, in North Carolina. Having wounded it slightly in the wing, on being caught it uttered a loudly-reiterated and most piteous note, exactly resembling the violent crying of a young child, which terrified my horse so much as nearly to have cost me my life. It was distressing to hear it. I carried it with me under cover to Wilmington. In passing through the street its cry surprised every one within hearing, particularly the females, who hurried to the doors and windows with looks of alarm. I drove on, and on arriving at the piazza of the hotel where I intended to put up, the landlord came forward and a number of other persons, all equally alarmed at what they heard. This alarm was greatly increased by my asking whether they could find accommodation for myself and my baby; the man looked blank and foolish, while the others stared with still greater astonishment. After diverting myself for a minute or two at their expense, I drew my Woodpecker from under the cover, and a general laugh took place. I took him upstairs, and locked him in my room while I went to look after my horse. In less than an hour I returned, and on opening the door he set up the same distressing shout, which now appeared to proceed from grief that he had been discovered in his efforts at escape. He had mounted along the side of the window, nearly as high as the ceiling, a little below which he had begun to break through. The bed was covered with large pieces of plaster. The latter was exposed for at least fifteen inches square, and a hole opened large enough to admit the fist close to the weather-boards; so that in less than another hour he would certainly have made his way through. I now tied a string to his leg, fastened him to the table, and again left him. As I re-ascended the stairs I heard him again hard at work, and on entering had the mortification to find that he had almost ruined the mahogany table, on which he seemed to have wreaked his whole vengeance. While engaged in taking a drawing of him, he cut me severely in several places, and, on the whole, displayed such an unconquerable spirit that I was frequently tempted to restore him to his native woods. He lived with me nearly three days, but refused all sustenance, and I witnessed his death with regret."

THE RED-HEADED BLACK WOODPECKER (Melanerpes erythrocephalus).

The head and bill of this species are held in great esteem, as a sort of charm or amulet, by many tribes of the American Indians, who ornament their belts with them; and Europeans eagerly purchase them as curiosities. When wounded, this Woodpecker generally ascends the nearest tree in a spiral direction, till it attains the topmost branches, where it hides; but if intercepted and laid hold of, it defends itself desperately, both with its beak and claws, inflicting severe lacerations.

The BLACK WOODPECKERS (Melanerpes) are less remarkable for their size than for the beauty of their plumage. In these birds the body is powerful, the head large, and the neck short. The beak is straight, broader than it is high at the base, its upper mandible is arched, and its margins turned inwards; the distinguishing characteristics of the bill, however, are the four small parallel ridges that commence at the nostrils, and extend as far as the centre of the beak. The tarsus equals the reversible toe and its claw in length; the fourth and fifth wing-quills are of equal size, and longer than the rest; the tail is much rounded; and a small space around the eyes is quite bare. Black, red, and white predominate in the coloration of the plumage. All the various members of this group inhabit North and South America.

THE RED-HEADED BLACK WOODPECKER.

The RED-HEADED BLACK WOODPECKER (Melanerpes erythrocephalus) is of a bright red colour on the head and neck. The mantle, wings, and tail are of a jetty blackness; the hinder quills, rump, and under side pure white. The eye is brown, the beak and feet blueish black. The female is smaller and less brightly coloured than her mate. In the young the head, throat, mantle, and breast are of a greyish brown, marked with blackish brown, crescent-shaped spots. The exterior quills are blackish brown, the inner ones reddish white, striped with blackish brown towards the tip; the tail-feathers are deep brownish black. This species is nine inches long and seventeen broad; the wing measures four inches and five-sixths, and the tail two inches and three-quarters.

"The Red-heads," says Audubon, "may be considered as residents of the Northern States, inasmuch as many of them remain in the southern districts during the whole winter, and breed there in summer; the greater number, however, pass to countries farther south. Their migration takes place at night, is commenced in the middle of September, and is continued for a month or six weeks. They then fly high above the trees, far apart, like a disbanded army, propelling themselves by reiterated flaps of the wing at the end of each successive curve which they describe in their flight. The note which they emit at this time is different from the usual one—sharp and easily heard from the ground, although the birds may be out of sight; this note is continued as if it were necessary for keeping the straggling party in good humour. At dawn of day the whole alight on the tops of the dead trees about the plantations, and remain in search of food until the approach of sunset, when they again, one after the other, mount the air and continue their journey.

"With the exception of the Mocking Bird, I know no species so gay and frolicsome; indeed, their whole life is one of pleasure. They find a superabundance of food everywhere, as well as the best facilities for raising their broods. They do not seem to be much afraid of man, although they have scarcely a more dangerous enemy. When alighted on a fence-stake by the road or in a field, and one approaches them, they gradually move sidewise out of sight, peeping now and then to discover your intention; and when you are just close and opposite, lie still until you are past, when they hop to the top of the stake and rattle upon it with their bill, as if to congratulate themselves upon the success of their cunning. Should you approach within arm's length, the Woodpecker flies to the next stake from you, bends to peep and rattle again, as if to provoke you to a continuance of what seems to him excellent sport. No sooner are the cherries ripe than these birds attack them; and I may safely say that a hundred have been shot on one tree during a single day. Pears, peaches, apples, figs, mulberries, even peas are also thus attacked. They have another bad habit—that of sucking the eggs of small birds, and are often successful in entering the pigeon-houses; the corn as it ripens is laid bare by their bill, when they feed on the top parts of the ear. All this while the Red-heads are full of gaiety. No sooner have they satisfied their hunger than small parties of them assemble in the tops and branches of decayed trees, from which they chase different insects, launching after them for eight or ten yards, at times performing the most singular manœuvres; and on securing their victim return to the tree, where immediately after a cry of exultation is heard. They chase each other in a very amicable manner, in long beautifully-curved sweeps, during which the remarkable variety of their plumage becomes conspicuous. When passing from one tree to another their flight resembles the motion of a swing. They move upwards, sidewise, or backwards without apparent effort, but seldom with the head downwards. Their manner of curving from one tree to another is frequently performed as if they intended to attack a bird of their own species, and it is amusing to see the activity with which the latter baffles his antagonist, as he scrambles sidewise down the tree with astonishing celerity; in the same manner in which one of these birds, suspecting a man armed with a gun, will keep winding round the trunk of a tree, until a good opportunity presents itself for sailing off to another. In this manner a man may follow from one tree to another over a whole field without procuring a shot, unless he watches his opportunity, and fires while the bird is on the wing. On the ground this species is by no means awkward, and hops with perfect ease after the beetles it has espied while perching on a tree or fence.

"It is seldom that a nest newly perforated by these birds is found, as they generally resort to those of preceding years. These holes are found often to the number of ten or a dozen in a single decayed trunk. So few green or living trees are perforated for this purpose by this species that I have never myself seen a single instance. In Louisiana and Kentucky the Red-headed Woodpecker rears two broods every year, in the middle districts more generally only one. The female lays from two to six eggs, which are pure white and translucent, sometimes in holes not six feet from the ground, sometimes as high as possible. The young birds have the upper part of the head at first grey; but towards autumn the red begins to appear. During the first winter the red is richly intermixed with grey, and at the approach of spring scarcely any difference is perceptible between the sexes. The flesh of the Red-head is tough, and smells so strongly of the ants and other insects on which it feeds as to be scarcely eatable. In Kentucky and the Southern States many of these birds are killed in the following manner:—As soon as they have begun to visit an apple or cherry tree a pole is placed along the trunk, passing up among the central branches, and extending six or seven feet beyond the highest twigs. The Red-head alights by preference on the pole, and while its body is close to it a man standing beneath gives the pole a smart blow with the head of an axe, on the opposite side to that on which the Woodpecker is, when, in consequence of the sudden violent vibration produced in the upper part, the bird is thrown off dead."

"So common are these birds," says Wilson, "that wherever there is a tree of the wild cherry covered with ripe fruit there you see them busy amongst the branches; and in passing orchards you may readily know where to find the sweetest apples by observing those trees on or near which a Red-head is skulking; for so excellent a connoisseur is he in fruit that wherever an apple or pear tree is found broached by him it is sure to be the ripest and best flavoured. When alarmed at his work he secures a fine one by striking his bill deep into it, and bears it off into the woods.

"Notwithstanding the care," continues the same writer, "which this bird, in common with the rest of the genus, takes to place its young beyond the reach of enemies, within the hollows of trees, there is one deadly enemy against whose depredations neither the height of the tree nor the depth of the cavity is the least security; this is the black snake (Coluber constrictor), who frequently glides up the trunk of the tree, and, like a skulking savage, creeps into the Woodpecker's peaceful abode, devours the eggs and helpless young, in spite of the cries and flutterings of the parents, and, if the place be large enough, coils himself up in the spot they occupied, where he will often remain for several days. The eager school-boy, often hazarding his neck to reach the Woodpecker's hole, at the triumphant moment when he thinks the nestlings his own, strips his arm, launching it down the cavity, and grasps what he imagines to be the callow young, starts with horror at the sight of a hideous shape, and retreats down the tree with terrified precipitation. Several adventures of this kind have come to my knowledge, and one of them was attended with serious consequences—both snake and boy fell to the ground; and a broken thigh and long confinement cured the youngster of his ambition for robbing Woodpeckers' nests."

THE ANT-EATING BLACK WOODPECKER.

The ANT-EATING BLACK WOODPECKER (Melanerpes formicivorus) is an inhabitant of California and Mexico. Its body is black; the brow, a spot on the exterior quills, the anterior border of the hinder quills, and the rump are white; the top of the head as far as the nape is light red; the throat and a band upon the breast are black; the region of the throat is relieved by the sulphur-yellow feathers, by which the black portion is surrounded; the back and sides are streaked longitudinally with white; the eye is yellow, the beak and feet are black. This species is nine inches long; the wing measures five inches and a quarter, and the tail two and a quarter.

"The Melanerpes formicivorus," Hermann tells us, "is the noisiest and most numerous of all the Woodpeckers inhabiting California. During the summer these birds are constantly to be seen chasing their insect prey about the topmost branches of the trees, and in autumn are equally busy in laying up a store of acorns against the approach of winter. This is accomplished by boring a series of holes in the trunk of a tree, into each of which an acorn is so firmly introduced as to render its extrication a work of difficulty. An oak or pine tree thus pierced often presents the appearance of being studded with a multitude of bronze nails."

The VARIEGATED WOODPECKERS (Picus) constitute a group of small or moderate-sized and compactly-built birds. Their straight beak almost equals the head in length, and is as broad as it is high at the base; the toes are short, and in some species but three in number; in the wing the third quill is the longest; and the tail is conical. The plumage is black, marked with white, and enlivened in some parts by an intermixture of red or yellow. The various members of this group inhabit all those parts of the earth frequented by their congeners, with the exception of Central and Southern Africa.

THE GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER.

The GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER (Picus major) is black upon the upper portion of the body, of a dull yellowish grey beneath, and the brow indicated by a yellow line. The cheeks, a line on the sides of the throat, the large spots on the shoulders, and some irregular markings on the wings are all white; the back of the head and lower part of the belly are light red; and a black line passes from the base of the beak to the nape. The female is without the red upon the nape; and in the young the top of the head is bright red. The eye of all is brownish red, the beak light grey, and the foot greenish grey.

These well-known birds inhabit the whole of Europe and Siberia, as far as Kamschatka. Woods, forests, and plantations of all kinds are their principal resorts, and they especially delight in fir or pine trees. In these localities each bird appropriates a certain district as its own particular domain, and within this boundary no intruder is permitted to forage; for no sooner does the vigilant proprietor hear the bony tap that indicates a close inspection of his hunting-ground than he sallies forth and encounters the unwelcome visitor, chasing it from tree to tree, until it is glad to retire in search of more hospitable quarters. Nuts and the seeds from fir and pine cones are largely consumed by these birds, who exhibit the utmost adroitness in extricating the latter from their hard covering.

This species, which is found throughout the British Isles, though less common than the Green Woodpecker, "is," says Gosse, "much more strictly an arboreal bird than that species. It climbs with great ease and dexterity, traversing the trunks and limbs of trees in all directions—perpendicularly or horizontally—and digging with great diligence and effect into the bark and wood for insects. In Kensington Gardens, London, where this bird is quite common, it usually keeps about the highest branches of lofty trees, and the loud tappings of its carpentry may frequently be heard; though a fair sight of its person is difficult to obtain, as it dodges from side to side of the trunk or branch on which it happens to be with much cunning and adroitness whenever an observer approaches. It does not, however, confine itself entirely to the tall trees, for it occasionally alights on pollards, as well as on the rails and posts of fences, where, in the accumulated moss and lichen, or in the various holes and crevices, it finds a harvest of spiders, ants, caterpillars, and other insects; while in the season it varies its bill of fare by stealing cherries, plums, and other fruit."

Colonel Montague gives the following instance of the devotion of the female of this species for her young:—"It was with difficulty that the bird was made to quit her eggs; for, notwithstanding a chisel and mallet were used to enlarge the hole, she did not attempt to fly out until the hand was introduced, when she quitted the tree at another opening." The eggs, from five to seven in number, are pure glossy white.

THE HARLEQUIN WOODPECKER.

The HARLEQUIN WOODPECKER (Piculus minor), as the least of all European Woodpeckers is called, differs from its congeners in the comparative shortness of its slightly conical beak, rounded tail, and the very peculiar coloration of its plumage. In the male the brow is yellowish grey, the crown of the head bright red, the upper part of the back entirely black, and the lower portion white, streaked with black; the whole of the wings are striped black and white, and relieved by a black line that passes along the sides of the neck, which it thus divides from the grey belly, which is longitudinally streaked with black at its sides. The centre tail-feathers are black, and those at the exterior of a whitish hue, striped with black. The female is without the red patch on the head; the young resemble the mother, but are somewhat duller in their hues. In all the eye is yellowish brown or fiery red, the beak lead-grey, with black tip and culmen, and the foot dark grey. This species is six inches long, and from eleven to eleven inches and a half broad; the wing measures two inches and three-quarters, and the tail two inches and a quarter.

The habitat of the Harlequin Woodpecker extends over the whole of Europe and Central Asia, and it is, we believe, occasionally seen in North-western Africa. Like its congeners, it does not migrate, but only quits its native woodlands to wander over the face of the country during the spring and autumn. At other seasons it keeps strictly within the limits of a certain spot selected as a home, and which invariably contains a large hollow tree suitable as a sleeping-place.

"In England," says Mr. Gould, "this small Woodpecker is far more abundant than is generally supposed. We have seldom sought for it in vain wherever large trees, particularly elms, grow in sufficient numbers to invite its abode. Near London it is very common, and may be seen by an attentive observer in many of the parks in the neighbourhood. The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker appears to perform a certain daily round, traversing a given extent of district, and returning to the same spot whence it began its route. In its actions it is very lively and alert. Unlike the Large Woodpecker, it frequents the smaller and more elevated branches, which it traverses with the utmost ease and celerity. Should it perceive itself noticed it becomes shy, and retires behind the branches; if, however, closely engaged in searching for food it sometimes is so absorbed as to allow itself to be closely approached without suspending its operations. When spring commences it becomes clamorous and noisy, its call being an oft-repeated note, so closely resembling that of the Wry-neck as to be scarcely distinguishable from it. At other times of the year it is mute, and its presence is only betrayed by the reiterated tap which it makes against the bark of the tree."

Naumann tells us that as this bird retires to rest later than many of the other feathered inhabitants of its favourite groves or orchards, many and fierce battles ensue before it can obtain possession of the particular hole it desires, as Titmice or Sparrows also prefer a warm, snug nook, and are by no means disposed to resign quietly in favour of the would-be intruder. In these encounters, however, might usually overcomes right, and a series of very pointed arguments, in the shape of repeated taps and pecks from the enemy's strong beak, eventually compel the weaker bird to seek a night's lodging elsewhere.

The movements of the Harlequin Woodpecker are brisk and active, and as regards its climbing powers it fully equals any member of its family already described. Towards men it exhibits the utmost confidence, but lives in a state of almost perpetual warfare with its feathered companions. During the breeding season, which commences in May, the male makes himself very conspicuous by the constant utterance of his shrill monotonous cry and his restless activity in contending with supposed rivals, or in his struggles to keep off the inroads of other males upon his chosen nesting-place. This latter spot is always at a considerable height from the ground, in an old oak or lofty fruit tree, whose decayed trunk can be readily penetrated by the beaks of the building pair. The recess bored for the reception of the young is six inches deep, and is entered by an aperture as perfectly circular in form as if it had been cut with a centre-bit. Many of these holes are frequently commenced and abandoned before the requirements of the fastidious parents are satisfied. The brood consists of from five to seven brilliantly white eggs, occasionally sparsely sprinkled with fine red spots. The young are hatched within a fortnight by the united exertions of both birds, and are nourished and tended for a considerable time after they have left the nest. The food of this species appears to consist exclusively of insects, as even during the winter months we have found nothing else in its stomach. Ants, spiders, beetles, and insects' eggs it consumes in enormous quantities, and renders inestimable service to the gardener by the countless hosts of destroying insects which it gleans from fruit-trees of every description.

Bechstein gives the following account of an attempt to tame the Picus medius, a closely-allied species. "I have," he says, "seen one of these Woodpeckers, which was reared by a lady and seemed much attached to her; it had learned to leave its cage and return, knocking hard at the window if shut out. It was very amusing to see it climbing nimbly over its mistress till it had reached her mouth. It then asked her, by light strokes of the wing, for the food she was accustomed to give it; this was generally a little meat. It disappeared one day, without any one knowing what had befallen it."

THE THREE-TOED WOODPECKER.

The THREE-TOED WOODPECKER (Apternus tridactylus), as the most striking of all the European members of this family is called, represents a group recognisable by their straight beak, which is broader than it is high, and equals the head in length. All the three toes are shorter than the tarsus; of these the outermost is the smallest, and the two others of equal length. In the wing the fourth quill is the longest. The centre feathers of the conical tail are furnished with very stiff shafts, and sharply pointed at their tip. The upper portions of the body are black, and the under side dirty white; the brow black, spotted white, and the crown of the head pale golden yellow. A white line, more or less marked with black, passes from the eyes to the middle of the back; the bridles and a second line that terminates at the throat are black; as are the markings on the sides of the belly. The quills and exterior tail-feathers are black, striped with white, and the centre tail-feathers entirely black. The eye is pearl-grey or silver-white, the beak light grey, tipped with black, and the foot dark grey. The female has the crown of the head spotted with white, instead of being yellow as in the male. The length of this species is nine and its breadth fourteen inches; the wing measures four inches and three-quarters, and the tail three inches and three-quarters.

It is at present undecided whether all such of these birds as inhabit Europe are to be regarded as identical; but if it be so the habitat of this species extends over a large portion of both the European and Asiatic continents. In the northern parts of Europe it is met with in the course of its wanderings as far north as sixty degrees north latitude, and is by no means rare; in Scandinavia, Finland, and Russia it is especially numerous, and in the country about the mouth of the Amoor is one of the commonest of birds. North America also possesses a deceptively similar or identical species. Everywhere it frequents well-wooded mountain regions, and closely resembles the Common Variegated Woodpecker in all the various particulars of its habits, movements, and means of subsistence. It is active and restless in its habits, and generally occupies the topmost branches of the trees. Its cry is loud and shrill, somewhat resembling that of some small quadruped when in great pain. Towards noon it is silent, and retires to rest in a quiet spot. Its rapid, gliding, and undulating flight is always accompanied by a succession of loud notes. The nest is usually from twenty to twenty-four inches deep, and is bored in the trunk of a sound tree. One brood of four to six pure white eggs is laid in the season.

The GREEN WOODPECKERS (Gecinus) are readily known by the large size of their elongate body, their slightly conical and curved beak, and short powerful foot, furnished with four toes. The wing, in which the fourth and fifth quills are the longest, is rounded at its extremity, the tongue is of unusual length, and the plumage principally green, of a pale shade on the under side, and marked with undulating lines; the head is occasionally adorned with a brightly-coloured crest.

THE GREEN WOODPECKER.

The GREEN WOODPECKER (Gecinus viridis) is bright green on the upper portions of the body, and pale greyish green on the under side; the face is black, the top of the head and nape greyish blue, shaded with bright red; the wing is light yellow; a line on the cheeks of the male is red, in the female black. The quills are pale brownish black, spotted with yellowish or brownish white, and the tail-feathers pale greyish green, striped with black. The eye is blueish white, the beak dull grey tipped with black, and the foot greenish grey. The young are greyish green, spotted with white on the mantle, and whitish grey spotted with black on the under side; the eye is dark grey. The length of this bird is twelve and its breadth twenty inches; the wing measures seven and the tail four inches and a half.

The Green Woodpecker frequently seeks its insect food upon the ground. This species is met with over the whole of Europe; but though common in the wooded districts of England and Scotland, it is very rare in Ireland.

"Nature," says Mudie, in speaking of this species, "has appointed the Woodpeckers conservators of the wood of old trees, furnished them admirably for their office, and so formed their habits that an ancient tree is an Eden for them, fraught with safety, and redolent of fatness and plenty. So exquisitely are they fitted for their office that the several species vary in tint with the general colour of the trees that they select; if they exhibit an alternation of green moss, yellow lichen, and ruby-tinted cups, with here and there a spot of black, then this, the Green Woodpecker, comes in charge; but if they are covered with the black and white lichens of the Alpine forest, we may look for the spotted race upon the bark. When the renovation of the spring begins to be felt through all nature, the Woodpecker creeps from his hole and tries the trunk till he comes to a hollow place, and upon that he beats the drum in loud and rolling taps, but yet without in the least perforating the tree. The sound swells and sinks, hurries and lingers alternately, so that at a distance it resembles the sound of rustic glee heard through the woodland; if the Woodpecker's mate catches the sound she answers to it, the bargain is concluded, and the business of the season begins; if not, the male glides on to another tree, uttering his short cry, 'Plu-i, plu-i,' and again resumes his serenade. If there happen to be an odd bird in the forest, this call for a mate may occasionally be heard far into the summer. If the tree selected by a pair of Woodpeckers affords no natural hole for the purpose of nidification, they at once set about excavating one with their bills, working so fast that the strokes cannot be counted either by the eye or ear. They know the tree by the sound, and though they will cut through a few layers of perfect wood, they never mine into a tree unless it has begun to decay in the interior. Nature guides them to those trees where their labour is light and they have plenty to eat. In working they proceed as a mason does when he perforates a block of granite with a pointed pick, they thump away with so much rapidity and force that the timber is ground to powder, and they work in a circle no larger than will admit themselves. They generally burrow so deep that no spoiler can reach the eggs in their absence, and further security is afforded by the opening being in some hidden part of the tree. Materials are seldom carried into the nest, the bed for the reception of the little family being formed of the soft powder from the wood. The eggs, from five to seven in number, have a glossy white shell. The young are fledged in June, and creep about their native tree-hole for some time before they are able to fly."

THE GREEN WOODPECKER (Gecinus viridis).