TODIES. 



Suh-Fainily II. 

 THE TODIES. TODIN^. 



General Characteristics. — Bill lengthened, much depressed, and slightly com- 

 pressed towards the tip, which is rounded or pointed ; the gonys long, slightly 

 ascending and rounded beneath ; the nostrils lateral, with the opening anterior and 

 exposed ; the wings short and rounded ; the tail moderate and rather emarginated ; 

 the tarsi moderate and slender ; the toes unequal, the outer toe longer than the inner, 

 and both more or less united at the base ; the hind toe short ; the claws small. 



These birds are found in the tropical parts of America and in 

 the West India islands. They are usually seen singly in lone and 

 moist places, sitting in a crouching manner on the branch of a bush, 

 with the head drawn in between the shoulders. They exhibit 

 little timidity, and may be approached sp near as sometimes to 

 be caught by the hand. They live principally upon orthopterous 

 and other insects, which they seize with avidity. 



The typical species is — 



The Green Tody [Todus viridis), a very small bird, scarcely bigger than 

 a wren, common in all parts of Jamaica, where, conspicuous from its bright 

 grass-green coat and crimson velvet gorget, it hops about the trees, searching 

 for minute insects, and occasionally uttering a querulous sibilant note ; but 

 more usually it is seen sitting patiently on a twig, with the head drawn in, the 

 beak pointing upwards, and its loose plumage puffed out, so that it appears 

 much larger than it really is, and presents a general aspect of stupidity. This 

 abstraction, however, is more apparent than real : if we watch it, we shall see 

 that its odd-looking grey eyes are glancing hither and thither, and that ever 

 and anon the bird sallies forth upon a short flight, snaps at something in the 

 air, and returns to his twig. 



" One captured with a net, and turned into a room, immediately began to 

 catch flies and other minute insects that flitted about, particularly the destruc- 

 tive little clothes-moths. At this employment he continued incessantly from 

 earliest dawn till dusk. He would sit on the edge of the table, on shelves, 

 or on the floor, ever glancing about, and now and then flitting into the air, 

 when the snap of his beak announced a capture, and he would return to the 

 same station to eat it. He would peep into the lowest and darkest corners, 

 even under the tables, for \.he little globose long-legged spiders, which he would 

 drag from their webs and swallow. He sought them also about the ceiling 

 and walls, and found very many. I have said that he continued all day at 

 this employment without intermission, and though I took no account, I judged 

 that on an average he made a capture per minute : we may thus form some 

 idea of the immense number of insects destroyed by these and similar birds, 

 bearing in mind that this was in a room where the human eye scarcely recog- 

 nized half a dozen insects altogether, and that in the free air insects must be 

 much more numerous." 



According to the same writer, the green tody is exclusively an insect-feeder, 

 and burrows in the earth to breed. The banks of ravines and the scarps of 



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