THE BARBRTS. 127 
in India, but though they might well be placed in 
the same “‘order,’’? they may fairly claim a family 
difference. The figure (Fig. 1) in Plate I of the Copper- 
smith will give a good idea of their general form, although 
most have a rather longer bill and tail than that bird. 
The beak has a straggly moustache of bristles at the 
root, and is much stouter than a Woodpecker’s; it is not 
used for pecking into wood, except when the birds are 
boring a nest-hole. The tongue is of ordinary shape, 
and the tail is not stiff, but of ordinary feathers. The 
feet have two toes before and two behind, but the 
birds do not climb like Woodpeckers, but simply hop from 
branch to branch, picking the fruit on which they feed, 
for their diet is almost altogether vegetarian. They hop 
like Woodpeckers when on the ground, though I never 
saw a Barbet there in the wild state ; their flight also much 
resembles that of a Woodpecker, and they lay white eggs 
in a hewn-out nest-hole also. Moreover, the young show 
the same warty pad on the hocks as young Wood- 
peckers, and move in the same way. They are often less 
like the old ones when fledged than young Woodpeckers 
are, but are quite recognizable. Barbets run to very 
brilliant and barbaric colouring as a rule and the hens are 
generally coloured like the cocks. As a lively green is 
commonly the predominating colour in their costume, 
they are not easy to see in the trees, but they take good 
care to be heard pretty constantly. Their notes are not 
harsh and explosive like those of the Woodpeckers : 
rather mellow indeed, but of a deadly monotony, being 
kept up with relentless regularity for a long time. 
