532 MANAKIN 



Family PipridiV of modern ornithologists. The Manakins are 

 peculiar to the Neotropical Region, and are said to have many of 

 the habits of the Paridx (Titmouse), living, says Swainson, in deep 

 forests, associating in small bands, and keeping continually in 

 motion, but feeding almost wholly on the large soft berries of the 

 different kinds of Melastoma. However, as with most other South- 

 American Passei'ine birds, little is really known of their mode of 

 life ; and it is certain that the Pipridai have no affinity to the 

 ParidiV, but belong to the other great division of the Order Passeres, 

 to which Garrod assigned the name Mesomyodi, and in that 

 division, according to the same authority, constitute, with the 

 Cotingidsti (Chatterer),^ the group Heteromeri {Proc. Zool. Soc. 

 1876, p. 518). The Manakins are nearly all birds of gay appear- 

 ance, generally exhibiting rich tints of blue, crimson, scarlet, orange, 

 or yelloAV in combination with chestnut, deep black, black and white, 

 or olive -green; and among their most obvious characteristics are 

 their short bill and feeble feet, of which the outer toe is united to 



■^^- 



Metopia galeata. Mach^ropterus regulus. 



(After Swainson.) 



the middle toe for a good part of its length. Some few, as Metopia^ 

 are crested. The tail, in most species very short, has in others the 

 middle feathers much elongated, and in one, Helicura, the outer 

 rectrices are attenuated and produced into threads. They have been 

 divided by various authors into upwards of 20 genera, but Mr. Sclater 

 {Cat. B. Br. Mus. xiv. pp. 282-325) recognizes only 19, though 

 admitting 70 species, of which 18 belong to the genus Pi/)?u as now 

 rest]"icted, the P. leucocUla of Linnaeus being its type. This species 

 has a wide distribution from the isthmus of Panama to Guiana and 

 the valley of the Amazon ; but it is one of the most plainly coloured of 

 the Family, being black with a white head. The genus Macliairoptcrus, 

 consisting of 4 species, is very remarkable for the extraordinary 

 form of some of the secondary wing-feathers in the males, in which 

 the shaft is thickened and the webs changed in shape, as described 

 and illustrated by Mr. Sclater {Proc. Zool. Soc. 1860, ]). 90; Ihis, 

 1862, p. 175), and shewn in the accompanying figures, in the case 

 of the beautifu.1 M. delicioms, and it has been observed that the 



^ Exchiding, liowcver, the genus Riqncola (Cock-of-the-Rock), which has 

 usually been placed among the Cotingidx. 



