272 SYNDACTYL.E. 



usually seen singly, in lone and moist places, sitting 

 in a croucliing manner on the branch of a busli, with 

 the head drawn in between the shoulders. They 

 exhibit little timidity, and may be approached so 

 near as sometimes to be caught by the hand. They 

 live principally upon orthopterous and other insects, 

 which they seize with avidity. 



The typical species is — 



The Green Tody (Todus viridis), a very small bird, 

 scarcely bigger than a wren, common in all parts of 

 Jamaica, where, conspicuous from its bright grass-green 

 coat and crimson velvet gorget, it hops about the trees, 

 searching for minute insects, and occasionally uttering a 

 querulous sibilant note ; but more usually it is seen sit- 

 ting patiently on a twig, with the head drawn in, the 

 beak pointing upwards, and its loose plumage puffed out, 

 so that it appears much larger than it really is, and pre- 

 sents a general aspect of stupidity. But this abstraction 

 is more apparent than real ; if we watch it, we shall see 

 that its odd -looking grey eyes are glancing hither and 

 thither, and that ever and anon the bird salhes forth upon 

 a short flight, snaps at something in the air, and I'eturns 

 to his twig. " One captured with a net, and turned into 

 a room, began immediately to catch flies and other minute 

 insects that flitted about, particulai*ly the destructive little 

 clothes-moths. At this employment he continued inces- 

 santly from earliest dawn till dusk. He would sit on 

 the edge of the table, on shelves, or on the floor, ever 

 glancing about, and now and then flitting into the air, 

 when the snap of his beak announced a capture, and he 

 would return to the same station to eat it. He would 

 peep into the lowest and darkest corners, even under the 

 tables, for the little globose long-legged spider, which he 

 would drag from their webs and swallow. He sought 

 them also about the ceiling and walls, and found very 

 many. I have said that he continued all day at this 

 employment without intermission, and though I took no 

 account, I judged that on an average he made a caj^ture 

 per minute : we may thus form some idea of the immense 

 number of insects destroyed l)y these and similar birds, 

 bearing in mind that this was in a room where the human 



