234 ZOOLOGY. 



martin, destroys a thousand noxious insects for every bee 

 it eats. The lyre-bird (Fig. 272) is also a member of this 

 group. This bird, with tail feathers so strikingly devel- 

 oped as to resemble in outline a lyre, is so peculiar among 

 higher Passerine birds that it has been proposed to sep- 

 arate it, with certain probable allies, from all the rest. 



The Oscincs are represented by a host of species. These 

 birds stand at the head of their class; and as they are 

 mostly of small size, it may be said of them that they excel 

 in quality, not quantity, being highly wrought, exquisite 

 winged gems; most of them sing. Among the most nota- 

 ble are the jays, including the magpie of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains (Fig. 273), the crow, and blackbird, so useful a bird, 



Fig. 875.— Butcher-bird. 



notwithstanding its mischievous propensities. The birds 

 of paradise (Fig. 274, Paradisea rubra) are allied in their 

 size and habits to crows, starlings, and blackbirds, and are 

 noted for their beautiful feathers forming plumes, trains, 

 fans, or shields, the middle feathers of the tail often being 

 lengthened into wires, twisted into fantastic shapes, or 

 adorned with the most brilliant metallic tints. They in- 

 habit New Guinea and the neighboring islands. Succeed- 

 ing the crowsj etc., are the oriole, whose hanging nest, 

 brilliant colors., and lively song render it one of our most 

 interesting birds; and the reed-bird of the South, or bobo- 

 link, as it is called in the North, which wakes up the 

 meadows with his lively notes. The finches with their 

 conical beaks are succeeded, in the ascending series, by the 



