CHAPTER VII 

 THE PICARIAN BIRDS ORDER PICARL^E 



JACAMARS TO TOUCANS 

 Families GALBULID^ to RHAMPHASTID^ 



GREAT BI^ACK WOODPECKER. 



THK assemblage of birds commonly known as 

 Picarians presents at first sight a marked resem- 

 blance to the perching birds just considered, and 

 yet possesses certain common features not found 

 among them. They have, for instance, the hin- 

 der margin of the breastbone doubly notched, 

 such a feature being very rarely seen among Passerines. 

 Then, again, nearly all the members of the group lay 

 white eggs, which are deposited, often without any 

 attempt at constructing a nest, in some concealed posi- 

 tion, such as a hole in a tree or bank. It is true that 

 the Picarians are by no means the only birds which 

 adopt this mode of nesting, since many Passerines also 

 lay white eggs and equally conceal them; the sand martin, for instance, burrowing 



out a tunnel like the kingfisher, and depositing its eggs deep in the ground. There 



(1722) 



