MOTMOTS. 215 



Snh- Family IV. 

 THE MOTMOTS. MOMOTIN-'fl. 



General Characteristics. — Bill rather long, straight, more or less elevated and 

 broad at the base, with the sides compressed to the tip, which is slightly hooked 

 and obtuse, the lateral margins more or less strongly serrated ; the gonys long and 

 slightly ascending ; the nostrils basal and lateral, with the opening small and 

 rounded ; wings moderate and rounded, with the fourth, fifth, and sixth quills nearly 

 equal and longest ; tail lengthened and graduated, with the two middle feathers 

 usually longer than the others ; tarsi as long as the middle toe, and covered in front 

 with narrow transverse scales ; toes unequal, the inner toe short, and slightly 

 united, the hind toe rather short and weak ; the claws moderate, much compressed, 

 and curved. 



The Motmots are distinguished from the todies by having the 

 margins of the mandibles distinctly serrated for a considerable 

 portion of their length ; they also possess a pectinated tongue. 

 Their tail is long, and the shafts of the two middle feathers, which 

 are the longest, are entirely bare of barbs for a considerable por- 

 tion of their length ; the base is furnished with barbs, then comes 

 the bare portion, and the tip again presents the ordinary appear- 

 ance of a feather. 



The motmots are peculiar to the tropical parts of America and 

 to some of the West India islands. They seem to prefer the deep 

 shade of the forests or the dark recesses of buildings. They are 

 usually seen perched on a branch or on some projection, keeping 

 their head drawn in between the shoulders, with a peculiarly 

 solemn expression, uttering from time to time a melancholy croak. 

 Early in the morning, and in the dusk of the evening, they appear 

 more lively, watching for any passing insect that may approach 

 sufficiently near, upon which they dart with a short flight. They 

 likewise feed on frogs, lizards, and small snakes : these are seized 

 with the point of the bill, and then, by a toss of the head, jerked 

 into the throat and swallowed. The eggs of birds also form a por- 

 tion of their food. The nest of one species is stated by Sir W. 

 Jardine to have been found at the end of a long gallery excavated 

 in a bank of mud, and running for five feet in a direct line into 

 the ground, terminating in another gallery of similar length placed 

 at an angle with the first. The end of this long passage was 

 enlarged, and in the enlargement were three young motmots, 

 huddled up on the top of a moving heap of maggots mixed with 

 the remains of beetles and other insects. It is probable that the 

 barbs of the tail-feathers of the old birds may be worn away by 



