THE WORLD'S BIRDS. on 



Form. — Bill short, usually very strong and broad, with 

 gape of mouth wide, corner of mouth under eye ; 

 nostrils slit-like. Feet small, with short shanks, 

 but strong, with first toe smallest and directed 

 backwards as usual, outer front toe turned out 

 at right angles to middle. Wings short, rounded ; 

 tail rather long and rounded. Head and eyes very 

 large and body quite small. 



Plumage -AND Colouration.— Plain, but finely and 

 minutely mottled, resembHng bark, as in night- 

 jars ; general tone greyish or reddish. In some 

 species this difference is sexual, males being grey ; 

 otherwise no sex-difference. " Horns," or ear- 

 tufts, sometimes present. Eyes dark or yellow. 



Young. — Helpless and covered with white down. 



Nest.— An open platform of twigs on a tree, or of bark 

 and down matted together ; sometimes a hole in a 

 tree. 



Eggs. — One or two only ; white. 



Food.— Insects and probably small vertebrates. They, 

 at any rate the common Morepork (Podargus 

 cuvieri), do not cast pellets like owls, though eating 

 birds and mice in captivity. 



Gait. — An awkward owl-like walk or hop. They 

 usually sit across the bough when perching, not 

 along it like nightjars. 



Flight. — Soft, as in nightjars, but probably less easy 

 and protracted. 



Note. — Harsh and peculiar. 



Disposition and General Habits. — They seem re- 

 markably sluggish, but have very curious ges- 

 tures, and their attitudes often make them appear 

 like stumps of wood ; they are nocturnal, and sleep 

 more soundly by day than most birds of such habit. 



Economic Qualities.— The insect-eating habits of 

 the family must make them very useful. 



Captivity.— The common Austrahan Morepork (Po- 



