INSESSORES. 



523 



nature of the food, " which may be small or young birds, car- 

 rion, insects, fruit, seeds, vegetable juices, or of a mixed kind" 

 (Owen). 



In accordance with the form of the beak, the Insessores have 

 been divided into four great sections or sub-orders, known as 

 the Conirostres, Dentirostres, Tenuirostres, and Fissirostres. 



Sub-order i. Conirostres. In this section of the Insessores 

 the beak is strong and on the whole conical, broad at the base 

 and tapering with considerable rapidity to the apex (fig. 227, 

 C). The upper mandible is not markedly toothed at its lower 

 margin. Good examples of the Conirostral type of beak are 

 to be found in the common Sparrow, Hawfinch, or Bullfinch. 



Fig. 227. Insessores. A, Foot of Yellow Wagtail ; B, Foot of Water-ouzel ; C, 

 Conirostral beak (Hawfinch) ; D, Dentirostral beak (Shrike,) ; E, Tenuirostral beak 

 (Humming-bird) ; F, Fissirostral (Swift). 



The greater number of the Conirostres are omnivorous ; the 

 remainder are granivorous, or feed on seeds and grains. The 

 sub-order includes the families of the Horn-bills {Bucerid&}, 

 the Starlings (Stumida), the Crows (Corvidcz), the Cross-bills 

 (Loxiada\ and the Finches and Larks (Fringillida). 



In the Horn-bills the Conirostral shape of the beak is masked, 

 partly by its being of very great size, and partly by the fact 

 that above the upper mandible is placed a hollow appendage 



