MOMOTIDAE 



379 



syllables " tu-hou " thrice repeated, either while hovering in the 

 air or while ascending or descending in vertical fashion. Mean- 

 while the wings are struck against the body, and the throat 

 puffed out like a bag. It is found in the forests in flocks of 

 about a dozen, perching and squatting lazily on the branches, 

 and scarcely moving when its neighbours are shot ; the food 

 consists mainly of grasshoppers, chainaeleons, and lizards ; the 



Fig. 77. — Kirombo. Lejjtosonm discolor, x 3. 



nest is said to be made of rushes and placed in holes, the eggs to 

 be white. One female is often accompanied by several males. 

 The Malagasy consider that the " Eeo " brings ill-luck, and make 

 it the theme of various tales and chants.^ 



Fam. II. Momotidae. — ^The Motmots and Todies fall natur- 

 ally between the Eollers and Kingfishers, but are also closely con- 

 nected with the Bee-Eaters, which do not occur in the New World. 

 They compose the Sub-families (1) Moviotinae and (2) Todinae,i\iB 

 former ranging from South Mexico and the Antilles to Paraguay, 

 while the latter are restricted to the Greater Antilles. 



^ For this, as most ]\Iadagascar birds, see Graiididier, Histoirc dc Madarjascar, 

 and Sibree, Ibis, 1891, pp. 194-228, -416-113, 557-565 ; 1892, pp. 103-119, 261-274. 



