COLIES. 159 



dences in structure with the Swifts, in points 

 almost exclusively peculiar to them,* are the more 

 singular, because these birds do not manifest any 

 affinity, nor even resemblance in their general 

 form, or in their habits. 



The Colies are birds confined to Africa and 

 India ; they live much in trees, climbing about 

 somewhat in the manner of Parrots ; they are 

 social in disposition, living in large flocks, and 

 even breeding in society, constructing numerous 

 nests in the same bushes. It is reported that 

 they sleep suspended from a branch, with their 

 heads downwards, many of them together ; and 

 that when the weather is cold, as it sometimes is 

 in South Africa, they are found so benumbed in 

 the morning, that they may be readily taken one 

 after another, without an effort to escape. This 

 curious statement is given by no less accurate an 

 observer than Le Vaillant. 



GENUS COLIUS. (GMEL.) 



As the Family under consideration comprises 

 but this single Genus, its characters may be con- 

 sidered as already given in part ; they may, how- 

 ever, be thus summed up. The beak is short, 

 strong, conical, slightly compressed, entire, with 

 the mandibles equal, and the edges arched; the 

 nostrils rounded ; the wings short, the third quill 

 longest ; the tail greatly lengthened, and diminish- 

 ing from the centre to the sides, the external 

 feathers being short ; the claws arched and long, 

 that of the hind toe shorter than the others. 



* The Humming-birds, however, have also but ten tail-feathers ; 

 the Poultry-birds have from fourteen to eighteen. 



