ZYUUJJACTYLI, Oil SCANSOliES. 



ORDER III. THE CMMKIXG BIRDS. 



Till'; Third Order of birds is composed of those whoso cxtenial loe is directed back- 

 ^vards, like the thumb, whereby a more solid support is gained. ( )f tliis power some of tlio 

 genera avail themsehes, by climbijig and hanging on the trunks of trees : hence they have 

 been named iScuii-'iores, Climbers, though, strictly speaking, the term does not apply to all 

 of them, and many birds climb that are not jDlaced in this order. Such, for example, 

 are the Creepers. In some instances, the power of grasping and holding is very great. 

 Another name for them is Zi/ijodacta/i, or yoke-footed. 



The birds of this order generally build in holes of trees ; their power of flight is not 

 considerable ; theii^ food, like that of birds in the preceding order, consists of i^isects and 

 friuts, according^ as their bill is more or less strong. Some, as the woodpeckeis, have 

 pecidiar means of obtaining food. 



THE JACAMARS.* 



These birds are nearly allied to the Idngfishers in certain resjjects, as in their 

 elongated, sharp, quadrangular bill, -.and in their short feet, whose anterior toes ai'c, for 

 the most part, united. But these toes have not exactly the same formation as in the 

 Idngfishers ; the plumage is not so smooth as that of those birds, and has always a 

 metallic lustre. They live solitaril_y in humid woods, feed on insects, and build their 

 nests on low branches. 



The American species ha^e the bill larger than the others, and quite straight. 



THE CUCKOOS. 



In the genus Cueuhis of Liunajus were originally placed a number of different insecti- 

 vorous birds, commonly called cuckoos, which agreed in the general form of the feet, the 

 lengthened tail, the bill of medium size, rather deeply cleft, somewhat comjjressed, and 

 slightly curved. But they have since been formed into numerous minor groups, the 

 most marked and conspicuous of which we shall here briefly notice. 



The true cuckoos f have the bill of moderate strength, the tarsi short, and the tail of 

 ten feathers. As an example, we name our British species, C. caiwrus, so remarkable for 

 its singidar and somewhat anomalous habit of depositing its eggs in the nests of other 

 birds, a f\ict now well known, but to which we shall brieflj' refer. The nest of the hedge- 

 sparrow {Accentor vwdidaris) is that most usually chosen in the south of England ; that 

 of the yeUow-hanuner, the wagtail, and the meadow titlark, being, however, likewise 

 devoted to the purpose. "In Northumberland,"' says Mr. Selby, "constant experience 

 tells me, that the nest of the last-mentioned bird is the one almost always clioscn. Taking 

 advantage of the absence of its dupe during the time of laying (which generally occupies 

 four or five days), the cuckoo deposits its egg among the rest, abandoning it from that 

 moment to the care of the foster-parent. As the same period of incubation is common 

 to both birds, the eggs are hatched nearly together, which no sooner takes place than the 

 young cuckoo proceeds instinctively to eject its young companions, and any remaining 

 eggs, from the nest. To effect this object, it contrives to work itself under its burden (the 



* Galbula. — Bress. t Cuculus. — Cuv. 



