VEETEBEATA. 219 



The wings are strong, and frequently long and pointed, these 

 birds "moving solely by flight" and taking their food on the 

 wing. They nestle in holes of trees, or in holes of banks, or on 

 the earth ; or, as some of the swallows, they build mud nests 

 against the sides of rocks or walls. Humming-birds construct 

 very delicate and compact nests of moss, lichens, feathers, &c. ; 

 while the kingfisher is content to heap together a few fish-bones, 

 in some hole or hollow, on which to lay her eggs. In the horn- 

 bills the male, as is well known, shuts up the female in her nest 

 in a hollow tree by filling up the entrance with mud, leaving 

 just enough space through which the latter and her family may 

 receive the food he brings them. Livingstone says that the 

 " poor slave of a husband " often dies of inanition after his 

 exertions. 



The majority of these birds live on insects ; humming-birds in 

 part on the nectar in flowers, which they extract without alight- 

 ing ; kingfishers feed on water-insects, small fishes and their 

 fry ; hornbills on fruits, and sometimes on small birds. 



Among other well-known birds in this order we have the king- 

 fisher (Alcedo ispida), the laughing jackass of Australia (Dacelo 

 gigantea), the nightjar or goatsucker (Caprimulgus europceus), 

 whip-poor-will of North America (Antrostomus vociferus), the 

 " old jew " of New South Wales (Podargus auritus), sand-martin 

 (Cotyle riparia), house-martin (Chelidon urbica), swallow 

 (Hirundo rustica}, the "edible" swallow (Collocalia esculenta, 

 whose nests, partially composed of a gelatinous secretion of the 

 bird itself, is much sought after by Chinese gourmands), and the 

 swift ( Cypselus apus). Bee-eaters and rollers also belong to this 

 order. The humming-birds (of which there are 460 species) 

 Sundevall, under his cohort "Volucres longilingues," splits up 

 into twelve families. Their so-called genera are about 150. 



Volitores include the Coccygomorpha? of Huxley except the zygo- 

 dactyle families and Coliidse, and the whole of his Cypselomorphae 

 (Macrochires, NitzscJi). The Fissirostres of Cuvier were con- 

 fined to the genera Hirundo, Cypselus, Caprimulgus, and Podargus. 

 Syndactyli of the same author comprised the five genera Merops, 

 Prionitcs, Alcedo, Ceyx, and Todus. Picarise are an indefinite group 

 not generally adopted. Hirundinidae are occasionally placed 

 in the Passeres ; Wallace says that they " are undoubtedly very 

 isolated ; " but Huxley thinks that they are " very nearly related " 

 to the Cypselidae. Claus and Schmarda unite them and Capri- 

 mulgidse in one " group " (Fissirostres). The order is included 

 in the " Volucres anisodactyli " of Sundevall ; but he includes in 

 it also the Pigeons. 



