43' 



CHAPTER VI. 



SCANSORES OR CLIMBERS. 



PEOPLE will be strangely mistaken if they imagine that all the birds 

 which rank in this order possess the faculty of climbing. In reality 

 it is only the privilege of some, and does not belong exclusively even 

 to them, for it is found in some of the Passerines. The essential 

 characteristic of the climbers lies in this organic disposition that 

 the external toe, instead of being placed in front, like that in other 

 birds, is placed behind, by the side of the thumb. For this reason 

 the denomination of climbers has been replaced by that of 

 Zygodactyl(> which is used by Temminck, Vieillot, and others, and 

 which has the advantage of perfectly expressing the distinctive 

 characteristic of the order, for this word signifies fingers disposed 

 in pairs. Thanks to the formation of their feet, the climbers can 

 clasp the branches of trees strongly ; thus they are almost continually 

 perched. Their flight is medium, being neither so powerful as that 

 of the Raptores nor so light as that of the Passerines. These birds 

 feed upon fruits or insects, according to the strength of their beaks. 

 They chiefly inhabit warm countries, and their colours are generally 

 brilliant. Lastly, they are all monogamists, with the exception of 

 the Cuckoo. This order is one of the least numerous of the class 

 of Birds. It comprehends but few families, amongst which we will 

 mention the most familiar, such as Parrots, Toucans, Cuckoos, 

 Woodpeckers, Jacamars, &c. 



PARROTS. 



Parrots have large, strong, and round beaks ; the upper mandible 

 strongly hooked and sharp at the extremity, extending beyond the 

 lower, which is rather deeply hollowed. The tongue, which is thick, 

 fleshy, and movable, is terminated by a cluster of sinewy papillae, or 

 by a cartilaginous gland. The tarsi are very short, and the feet 

 perfected to such a degree that they really become hands, able to 

 seize, hold, and retain small objects. Their toes are supplied with 



