424 



The Bird 



interesting types of tail-feathers — those of hummingbirds^ 

 birds of paradise, and many others ; but there is one which 

 deserves especial mention. These birds, of which there 

 are a number of species, are the motmots, abundant in 

 many parts of Mexico and southward. The tail-feathers 

 of the Mexican motmot, which are bluish green in colour, 



Fig. 340. — Tails of Motmot: (a) young male; (6) adult female. 



have nothing peculiar about them, except the middle pair, 

 which are two inches longer than the others. Of this 

 extra length one inch is bare shaft, while at the tip the 

 barbs are normal, forming a racket-shaped extremity. The 

 fact which places this slight decoration above all other more 

 elaborate examples in point of interest is that the birds 

 themselves voluntarily produce the racket condition. Even 

 the youngest birds, of both sexes, when the long central 



