THE PICARTAN felRDS. jj 



fiange outside the British Islands. — According to Mr. Ridgway, 

 this species inhabits the Eastern United States, as far north 

 as Labrador and west to Manitoba and the Rocky Mountains, 

 visiting in winter Central America, the West Indies, and the 

 northern part of South America. 



Hahits. — Very similar to those of C. amcricafius, excepting 

 that the bird is perhaps even more shy and retiring in its ways. 

 Like the last-named bird, it builds its own nest, and is a most 

 affectionate parent. Dr. Brewer tells of an instance where the 

 female had been killed, and the male bird successfully brought 

 up the brood of five young ones. 



Nest. — According to Dr. Brewer, the nest is built in an ever- 

 green bush or small sapling. It is rather neatly constructed of 

 twigs, occasionally lined with moss, withered catkins, or blossoms 

 of plants. 



Eggs — Glaucous-green or verditer-blue. Axis, I'li; diam., 

 078 inch {Ridgway). 



THE PICARIAN BIRDS. ORDER CORACIIFORMES. 



In this Order are comprised several Sub-orders of birds, 

 most of which are inhabitants of the Tropics, and do not 

 immediately concern us here. Such are the Guacharos 

 {Steatornithes)^ the Frog-mouths (Podargi), the Madagascar 

 Rollers iyLeptosomaii), the Hornbills {Bucerotes), the Mot-mots 

 {^Momoti)^ the Todies {Todi), the Humming-Birds {Trochili), 

 and the Colies (Co/i'i). All these Sub-orders have remarkable 

 characteristics, and contain, as a rule, but few species, which 

 represent the various Sub-orders in the Tropics of both tb.e 

 Old and New Worlds. 



All the Picarians differ from the Passerine Birds in the ar- 

 rangement of the tendons of the foot, the flexor perforans 

 digitorum being connected \\-ith the hallux. 



As a rule they lay white, or at least uniform pale-coloured 

 eggs, which are always hidden from sight in the hole of a tree, 

 or under the shelter of a building or rock. The young are 

 born naked, and, as far as is known, the form of development 

 of the feathers is peculiar, the feather remaining long in its 

 sheath, so that a young Picarian is covered soon after its birth 



8 D 



