I08 THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 



much, constantly spreading their tails, are also familiar 

 birds from India eastwards, ranging all through the 

 Australian region ; two are familiar birds in New Zealand. 



Greenlets {VireonincB) are small American tree-haunt- 

 ing insectivorous birds. Their plumage is green or 

 olive, and their bills vary from slight to stout ; they 

 build open nests, and are sometimes classed with the 

 Shrikes, which group the strong-billed types somewhat 

 resemble in appearance. The slender-billed ones, how- 

 ever, such as the familiar Red- eyed Vireo [Vireo 

 erythropthahmis), which has been exhibited in the London 

 Zoological Gardens, much resemble Willow-Warblers 

 in appearance and actions. 



The Honey-eaters [Meliphagince) of the Australian 

 region are usually birds of fair size, though this varies ; 

 their plumage is generally dull, and their bill slight and 

 inclined to be long and curved, although usually shorter 

 and stouter than in the Sun-birds. Their nests are 

 generally open ones of ordinary form. They are very 

 characteristic birds of Australia, and the large species 

 of " Wattle-birds " (AcanthochcBva), with white-streaked 

 brown plumage and as big as Doves, are shot and eaten. 

 The Tui, or Parson-bird, of New Zealand (Prosthemaio- 

 dera novcezealandice) is also a familiar bird, and has 

 been frequently kept in captivity in Europe. It is a 

 good mocker, and wiU learn to talk. 



Larks {Alaudince) are found nearly everywhere, and 

 are the most terrestrial of Passerine birds. Their 

 shanks have separate scales np the back as well as the 

 front, which will distinguish them from other families 

 of similar habit. They dust themselves instead of 

 washing, build on the ground, seldom perch in the day 

 and never at night. Their plumage is brown more or 

 less streaked, and the young are spotted with buff. 

 The biU varies, as does the claw of the hind-toe, which 

 is most commonly long and straight. The sexes are 

 usually alike. 



