154 



THE JAVAN TODY. 



white, splashed on the throat with chestnut, and transversely harred upon the abdomen 

 with the same tint, leaving a white band across the chest. As its name implies, it is a 

 native of Madagascar. 



The curions little Inrds which are termed Todies bear a considerable resemblance to 

 the kingfisher, from which they may be easily distinguislied by tlie flattened l)ill. The gape 

 of the month is very wide, and a number of vibrissa are set around its margin. The 

 wings and tail are short and rounded, and the outer toes are connected as far as the last 

 joint. The Todies are natives of tropical America, and are very conspicuous among the 

 Ijrilliant plumaged and strangely shaped birds of that part of the world. 



Tlie CiREEN Tody is a very small bird, being hardly larger than the common wren of 

 England, but yet very conspicuous on account of tlie brilliant hues with which its plumage 

 is decorated. The whole of the >ipper surface is a light green, the flanks are rose coloured, 



deepening into scarlet upon the tliroat 

 and fading into a pale yellow upon the 

 abdomen and under tail-coverts. The 

 under surface of the wings is bare. These 

 tints may be easily examined, even during 

 I he life of the bird, for the Green Tody is 

 a sluggish creature, and so disinclined to 

 move, that it may be approached quite 

 closely, and watched as it sits witli its 

 head sunk beneath its shoulders, and its 

 bill i^rojecting, as if without life or sensa- 

 tion. 



It has lint little power of wing, flying 

 always near the ground, and never ven- 

 turing on a long aerial journey. From 

 this habit of remaining near the earth, 

 it is popularly known by the name of 

 Ground Parrot. The food of the Green 

 Tody is chiefly of an insect nature, and 

 the bird is aide to secure its prey as 

 they crawl aliout in the muddy banks 

 of ponds or rivers. It also searches the 

 grass and herbage for insects, and catches 

 them with much adroitness. The nest 

 of this bird is placed on tlie ground, 

 generally in some hole in a river's l.)ank, 

 but often in a depression made for the 

 purpose, and is biiilt of dried grasses, moss, 

 cotton, feathers, and similar substances. 

 The eggs are four or five in number, of a Ijluish grey, diversified with bright yellow spots. 

 The length of tliis l>ird is barely four inches. There is another species of Tody ( Todus 

 Mexicdnus), inhabiting the same country. 



The Javan Tody is a truly remarkable bird, and is so curiously formed that its 

 proper position in the kingdom of birds has long been uncertain. • 



The extraordinary beak of this bird is shorter than the head, and at its base is wider than 

 the portion of the head to which it is attached. The centre toes are connected together as 

 far as the second joint, This bird is a native of Java and Sumatra, and in many of its 

 habits resendiles the green Tody, It feeds mostly on aquatic insects, worms, and larva\ 

 which it obtains from the lianks of the rivers near which it loves to dwell. It does not 

 keep so closely to the earth as the green Tody, but builds a jiendent nest, hanging to the 

 slender bough of some tree that grows near the water. Although not a very rare bird, it 

 is b\it seldom seen, owing to its habit of withdrawing itself to the most inaccessible 



GREEN TODY— Totliis vtritlis. 



