304 AVES. 



Parrots, live in flocks, build many of their nests on the same bush, 

 and sleep suspended to its branches in crowds, with the head down- 

 wards. They feed on fruit. (1) 

 Here also come the 



BupHAGA; Briss. 



The Beef-eaters form a small genus in which the beak is of a mode- 

 rate length, cylindrical at the beginning, and inflated (both mandibles) 

 near the end, which terminates in a blunt point. They use it to 

 compress the skin of cattle in order to force out the larvae of the 

 CEstrus lodged in it, on which they feed. 



One species only is known, and that is from Africaj brownish, 



with a moderate sized cuneiform tail; as large as a Thrush. 



Buphaga africana, Enl. 293j Vaill. Afr. pi. 97j Vieill. Gal. 



CassicuS; Ciiv. 



A large and exactly conical beak, thick at base, and very sharp at the 

 pointj small round nostrils, pierced on the sides; the commissure of the 

 mandibles forms a broken line, or is angular like that of the Star- 

 lings. They are American birds, whose manners are similar to those 

 of the last mentioned ones, living like them in flocks, frequently 

 constructirig their nests close together, and sometimes with much 

 art. They feed on grain and Insects, and do great injury to culti- 

 vated grounds. We subdivide them as follows: 



Cassicus,(2) properly so styled. 



The base of the beak mounts on the forehead, encroaching on the 

 plumage, and forming a semicircular notch in it. The largest spe- 

 cies belong to this subgenus. (3) 



(1) Col. capensis, Enl. 282, 1; Vaill. 258, and the young, 256. This latter is 

 the C. striatus, and the C. panayensis; Col. erythropus, Gm.; leuconotus. Lath. 

 Vaill. 257; Col. gularis, Vaill. 259. 



I place near the Colies the birds called Meriou nattS {Malurus textilis. Less. ) 

 and Merion leucoptere {31. leucopterus, Id.), Voy. de Freycin. pi. 23. 



(2) Vieill. has adopted this name and genus. 



(3) Cassicus bifasciatus, Spix, LXI, a; Cassic. angustifrons, Id. LXII; Cass, 

 nigemmus. Id. LXIII, 1; Oriolus cristatus, Enl. 344; 5. 328; hemorrhous, 482; 

 persicus, 184. (N.li. That it is not from Persia, but from America, like the others.) 

 A black species, with metallic reflections, the plumes of whose neck are erectile,, 

 and form a kind of mantle. It is the Grand troupiak of Azz. Voy. JII, p- 167. 



