13 ) BIKIl GALLERY. 



with bristles at the base of the bill, and in laying spotted eggs. They 

 range from Afriea, through India and the Moluccau Islands, to 

 Australia. The most familiar are the Grackles or Talking Mynas 

 (Euhihes) (2727-8), many of which are well-known cage-birds, and can 

 l)e easily taught to repeat words or sounds. 



To this gro\ip also belong the beautiful Glossy Starlings [LdDipninifius) 

 i2747-8) of Afi'ica, the remarkable Yellow-hreasted ('(isinopsiirtis rci/iiis 

 (2741) of Somalihuiil, and Cdoniis (2736-8) of the Indian and Aus- 

 tralian regions. 



Kauiily XIjI. Stuhnid/j:. Stahlin'cs. 

 [Cases:!.] This widely-distributed group is peculiar to the Old \Vorl(l. The 

 young in tirst plumage are streaked, and in this resjiei't Starlings diti'cr 

 from the Crows, but thoy I'csemble the latter iu their mode of pi'ogres- 

 sion, walking, instead of hopping like Finches, and most of the other 

 Passeres. The Comnaon Starling {Shinnix riih/nris) (2718) is a common 

 resident in the Briti.sh Islands, its nnmljcrs i)eing augmented l)y an 

 additional host of migrants in the autumn and winter. Like its 

 allies, though principally an insect-feeder, it is extremely partial to 

 fruit, and does great damage iu cherry-orchards. Another species 

 which has occurred as a straggler in our islands is the Rose-coloured 

 Pastor {Pastor ruseiis) (2719). Biixilciiniis (2723-4) is represented by 

 a fine crested species found in Ceram. A curious aberrant form is the 

 Ox-pecker or Rhinoceros Bird (Biiphayd) (2751), so-called on account of 

 its habit, shared with otlier members of the family, of settling on the 

 backs of cattle, camels, &c., to extract the grubs which infest tlu'm. 



Family XLII. PriLoNoKHVNCHii) i;. H(jwhi{-I3ini)s 



(Plate XXIII. lig, 2.) 



[Centre The Rower-Birds, which are undoubtedly closely allied to the Birds 

 1 of Paradise and Crows, are iicculiar to New Guinea and Australia, 



CflSI'.J ' ' 



They have received their name from their peculiar habit of building 

 bowers or runs where the males meet to play or pay their court to the 

 females. The bowei's are built long before the birds begin to construct 

 their nest, which is placed in a tree. 



Tlie species of Ptilunorhijnchm (2752). ('Iiliiiinjdodn-H (2753 5), and 

 Sericiihis (2756) construct arbour-like galleries of uncertain length, 

 ornamented with shells, 'Jjright feathers, and other decorative materials. 

 Newton's Rower-Bird [Pridiiudura) (2757) erects an enormous structure 

 of sticks, sometimes eight feet in height and of a complicated archi- 

 tecture, the main structure being supplemented by dwarf hut-like 

 buildings. The Gardener Rower-]5irds (Aiiibbjurms) (2758) build a 



