374 



AVES ORDER PASSERIFORMES. 



the greater majority of species are neotropical in habitat. They are insect- 

 feeders, and resemble our flycatchers in habits, so much so that they are 

 commonly known as " flycatchers " in America. 



In the Tyrannidce and Oxyrhamphidce the toes are nearly free, according 

 to Dr. Sclater, as in the Oscines or ordinary passerine birds. They differ 

 from the members of the foregoing family in having a straight 

 The Sharp-Bills, and pointed bill, instead of the flattened and hooked bill of 

 Family the Tyrannidw. As Mr. Salvin well observes, the position 

 Oxyrhamphidw. of the genus Oxyrhamphus is obscure, and it may turn out, 

 when its anatomy is known, that it is not allied to the 

 tyrants at all. In the male bird, according to Mr. Salvin, " the barbs of the 

 central portion of the outer web of the outermost primary have their ex- 

 tremities destitute of barbules, and these bare points turned rather abruptly 

 backwards and slightly inwards, the margin of the wing thus forming a 

 strongly serrate edge. In the female the outer web of this feather is normal." 

 Nothing has been recorded of the habits of the species of Oxyrhamphus, 

 which are three in number. 



The Pipridce differ from the two foregoing families in having the toes 



united at the base. They are mostly brightly-coloured birds, about seventy 



in number, strictly neotropical in habitat, and dwelling in 



The Manakins. the forests. A curious habit of one of the manakins, Chiroxi- 



Family phialinearis, of Central America, is recorded by Mr. Nutting. 



PipridcK. Instead of fighting for the female, as is the case with most 



birds, this manakin dances himself into her favour. Mr. 



Nutting once saw two males dancing upon a bare twig about four feet from 



the ground. The two birds were about a foot and a half apart, and were 



alternately jumping about two feet into the air, and alighting exactly upon 



the spot whence they jumped. They kept time as regularly as clock-work, 



one bird jumping up the instant that the other bird alighted, each bird 



accompanying himself to the tune of toledo, tole'do, toledo, sounding the 



syllable " to " as he crouched to spring, " le " while in the air, and " do " as 



he alighted. 



In the Cotingidce the tarsus is " pycnaspidean," with the scales of the 

 hinder aspect of the tarsus (planta tarsi) separate, small in size, and generally 



arranged without any order. The 



The American bill is elongated, compressed, and 



Chatterers. not serrated. Six sub-families are 



Family recognised by Dr. Sclater, and all 



Cotingidce. the species are neotropical. They 



comprise very varied forms, buti 



the most striking are the cocks-of-the-rock (Rupi- 



cola) arid the bell-birds (Chasmorhynchus). 



The plant-cutters are only four in number, and 

 are found in Western South America from Peru 

 to Chili, thence to the Argentine 

 The Plant- Republic and Northern Patagonia. 

 Cutters. Family There is only one genus, Phytotoma, 

 Phytotomidce. which agrees with the Cotingidw, 

 as regards the scaling of the tarsus, 

 but is distinguished by its short, conical, and ser- 

 rated bill. 



In the following small family the tarsus is "taxaspidean," with the spaces on 



Fig. 116. THE BELL-BIRD 

 (Lhasmorhynchus niveus). 



