424 ORDER INSESSORES ; GENERAL CHARACTERS. 



claws. The foot of the common Canary affords a good example 

 of the usual conformation. On the other hand, the wings are 

 for the most part highly developed ; and have often a very 

 wide expanse in proportion to the size of the body, which is 

 never very bulky. The plumage of the Perchers varies greatly 

 in the different families ; being dull in some, and of the most 

 exceeding brilliancy in others. Taken as a whole, however, this 

 order far surpasses all others in the elegance and beauty of the 

 feathered covering ; and it contains those species, which are pre- 

 eminent in this respect above all others of the class. The male 

 is nearly always larger than the female, and is more distinguished 

 for the gaiety of his dress. The Perchers live in pairs, and 

 display great art in the construction of their nests, which are 

 usually built in trees, bushes, &c., seldom on the ground ; the 

 pairing very frequently lasts, however, but for a single season. 

 The number of eggs is usually considerable ; and not unfre- 

 quently there are two broods produced in every year. The 

 young come forth from the shell in a blind and naked state ; and 

 they are wholly dependent for their subsistence on parental care, 

 during some time. It is to this group that all our Singing Birds 

 belong; with the exception of those contained in the nearly- 

 allied order of Scansores. Thus we see that among the Inses- 

 sores are found pre-eminently developed all those characters, 

 which peculiarly distinguish the class of Birds; of which it 

 should therefore be regarded as the typical order ( 360). And 

 it harmonizes well with this view, that it should be by far the 

 largest order of the whole class. 



385. There is considerable variety in the food of the Perching 

 Birds; which is, of course, connected with variations in the 

 form of their beak, and in their general habits. In some in- 

 stances it consists exclusively of winged insects ; in others of 

 grubs and worms ; in others of soft pulpy fruits ; in others 

 of seeds ; in others of vegetable juices ; in others of small or 

 young birds ; in others of carrion ; whilst in some it is of a 

 mixed character, the digestive apparatus being adapted to act 

 upon all the foregoing substances. By the form of the beak, 

 this order is divided into four subordinate groups, as follows : 



