THE ANIMAL WORLD OF BRAZIL 



of bird no less than 732 — that is, five-sixths — are confined to this 

 country. India, on the other hand, and the other countries of 

 Southern Asia, have the monopoly of the Peacocks, Pheasants, and 

 Hornbills, though the other families of birds native to these countries 

 are represented, although by other species, in the neighbouring 

 continents. Again, of 90 families of lizards. South America has 78, 

 of 94 families of snakes 69, and of 48 families of frogs 41 which are 

 unknown to the other continents. 



All these families, however, have split up into numberless species. 

 The Humming-birds are now divided into 400 species, of which 

 80 are Brazilian. A group of birds peculiar to South America, 

 known as Tree-climbers, has evolved into a great number of species, 



Fig. 10. — Itawira, on the coast of Espirito Santo 



and forms which in other continents have sprung from various 

 families have evolved, in Brazil, from this one group. The Arapa9u, 

 for example, with its brown wings, spotted breast and powerful bill, 

 climbs up the tree-trunks like a woodpecker; another Arapa^u has 

 a slender, curved, almost semicircular bill, while others resemble 

 our nuthatch in size and behaviour (Plate 28). The Potter-bird or 

 "Joao do barro" hops over the lawns like a thrush, and builds oven- 

 shaped nests of clay in the trees. The "Bundle-nesters," such as the 

 Curutia, slip through the thickets like hedge-sparrows, and build 

 wattled nests of brushwood (Plates 21, 28). Other species creep like 

 mice over the ground, while others live on the water; and in 

 adopting all these different modes of life the Tree-creepers have 

 assumed a great variety of shapes and sizes. Another prolific family 

 of South American birds is that of the Tyrannidae ; of these, the 

 Bemtevi is like our Jay, the Siriri resembles the Fly-catcher, while 

 the "Washerwomen" haunt the waterside like our Wagtails. 



L 161 



