> 



SCANSORES, OR CLIMBING BIRDS. 



im>up of birds in arranged by naturalist* under the title of SCAI 



or CI.IMIMM. Hi UPS, and may be recognized by the stru.-tm.- ..f th.-ir feet. Two 

 toes are direcN-d forward and tin- other two twkward, so that tin- Mid i* al-1.- to 

 take a Tory powerful hold .f tin- -ui .stance on which it is sitting, and thi- enal.l.-. 

 some species, as the wood!>-.-k.-r>. to run iiiml.lv uj> tn-e trunks und to Imld 

 tli- Missives tightly on the burk while they hammer away witli tli.-ir beaks, and 

 other species, of whidi tin- Parrots are familiar examples, to clasp th<- liough as 

 with a hand. Tin-re, is Home little difficulty in settling the exact limit.M of this group. 



'tl/1* 



very curious birds that go by the name of Tot CAMS are not one whit leas remarkable 



than the horndills. their lieak 

 y U-ing often as extravagantly 



large, and their colors by far 

 superior. They are inhabi- 

 tants of America, the greater 

 niimlwr of sjie-ies U-ing found 

 in the tropical regions of that 



of these l.irds there are 

 many species. Mi .>uld. in 

 his magnificent work, the 

 Monograph of the " Hham- 

 jhastida-." figures fifu -on,- 

 species, and ranks them under 

 six genera. 



The most extraordinary 

 part of these birds is the enor- 

 mous beak, which in some 



species, such as tin I Ion- 



\v. is of gigantic dimensions, 

 seeming big enough to give its 

 owner a perpetual headach.-. 

 while in others, such as the 

 I < ucanetA, it is not so large as 

 to attract much attention. 



As in the case of the horn- 

 1-ilN. their beak is very thin 

 and is strengthened by a vast 

 number of honeycomb-cells, so 



rooo. -*****,. fllllt il i* TeI 7 HK nt "d doe 



not incommode the l.inl in the 



least. In performing the usual duties of a beak, such as picking up food and plurnin. 

 feathers, this apparently unwieldy beak is used with perfect address, and eren inflight its 

 iocs not incommode its owner. 





