THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 



39 



FORM. Bill short, usually very strong and broad, with 

 gape of mouth wide, corner of mouth under eye ; 

 nostrils slit-like. Feet small, with short shanks, 

 but strong, with first toe smallest and directed 

 backwards as usual, outer front toe turned out 

 at right angles to middle. Wings short, rounded ; 

 tail rather long and rounded. Head and eyes very 

 large and body quite small. 



PLUMAGE AND COLOURATION. Plain, but finely and 

 minutely mottled, resembling bark, as in night- 

 jars ; general tone greyish or reddish. In some 

 species this difference is sexual, males being grey ; 

 otherwise no sex-difference. " Horns," or ear- 

 tufts, sometimes present. Eyes dark or yellow. 



YOUNG. Helpless and covered with white down. 



NEST. An open platform of twigs on a tree, or of bark 

 and down matted together ; sometimes a hole in a 

 tree. 



EGGS. One or two only ; white. 



FOOD. Insects and probably small vertebrates. They, 

 at any rate the common Morepork (Podargus 

 cuvieri), do not cast pellets like owls, though eating 

 birds and mice in captivity. 



GAIT. An awkward owl-like walk or hop. They 

 usually sit across the bough when perching, not 

 along it like nightjars. 



FLIGHT. Soft, as in nightjars, but probably less easy 

 and protracted. 



NOTE. Harsh and peculiar. 



DISPOSITION AND GENERAL HABITS. They seem re- 

 markably sluggish, but have very curious ges- 

 tures, and their attitudes often make them appear 

 like stumps of wood ; they are nocturnal, and sleep 

 more soundly by day than most birds of such habit. 



ECONOMIC QUALITIES. The insect-eating habits of 

 the family must make them very useful. 



CAPTIVITY. The common Australian Morepork (Po- 



