ALECTRURES. 127 



all its congeners, inhabits the forests of tropical South America. The birds be- 

 longing to this remarkable sub-family of the Flycatchers have given rise to 

 much disputation amongst scientific ornithologists. All the Flycatchers, pro- 

 perly so called, live entirely upon insect food ; nevertheless it is asserted upon 

 unquestionable testimony, that the Ouerula; live also upon fruits, notwithstand- 

 ing that the stiff bristles guarding, or rather enlarging, the gape, decidedly 

 testify to their insectivorous habits. On the other hand, there are some of the 

 Chatterers [A/iipelidcr), which, although they live principally upon fruits and 

 berries, exhibit many of the habits of flycatchers. Thus Audubon, speaking 

 of the cedar-bird {Bombycilla Carolincnsis) informs us that " the holly, the 

 vines, the persimon, the pride of China, and many other trees supply them 

 with plenty of berries and fruits, on which they fatten, and become so tender 

 and juicy as to be sought for by every epicure for the table." Audubon, how- 

 ever, at the same time states that the cedar-birds "are excellent flycatchers, 

 spending much of their time in the pursuit of winged insects, but yet without 

 much vivacity or energy of action. They start from the branches, and give 

 chase to insects, ascending after them for a few yards, and as soon as the prey 

 is secured, returning to the same spot, where they continue watching with 

 slow motions of the head. Towards evening this amusement is carried on 

 for half an hour or an hour at a time, and is continued longer at the approach 

 of autumn, the berries then becoming scarcer." 



The two birds in question, therefore — the Bright-sided Ouerula and the 

 Cedar-Bird — may justly be regarded as connecting-links between two races, 

 otherwise most dissimilar both in structure and habits. 



Sub-Family 11. 



THE ALECTRURES. ALECTRURIN.-E.* 



General Characteristics. — Bill of various lengths, broad at the base and rather 

 depressed, with the culmen sloping and rounded, the sides gradually compressed 

 to the tip, which is emarginated ; the gonys long and slightly ascending; the nostrils 

 basal, rounded and exposed ; the whigs more or less long ; the tail of various lengths 

 and forms ; the tarsi more or less long and slender ; the toes usually moderate, and 

 armed with long, acute, curved claws. 



The Cock-tailed Flycatchers are so called from their habit 

 of raising their long and ctiriously-formed tail in a manner similar 

 to that of the domestic fowl. They are only found in South 

 America, and are all of small dimensions, their average length 

 being about six inches. There are many species of this group, 

 and they differ considerably in their habits and the localities they 

 frequent : some are fond of forest lands, perching upon lofty 



* Alector, a poetical iiamefor the barjt-door cock ; ovpd, a tail: cock-tailed. 



