THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 8l 



DISTRIBUTION AND IMPORTANT SPECIES. The Nicobars 

 to Australia and the Pacific Islands. There are 

 about two dozen species, of which the best-known 

 is the above-mentioned Australian Brush-Turkey, 

 a sooty-brown bird as big as a fowl, with bare 

 red head and fowl-like tail. 



MOUSE-BIRDS OR COLIES. (Coliida). 



DIAGNOSIS. Small long-tailed tree-birds, with four- 

 toed feet, the toes with no special direction. 



SIZE. About that of a sparrow, exclusive of the long 

 tail. 



FORM. Bill short, stout, upper outline arched, corner 

 of mouth below front of eye ; feet with short shanks 

 and four strongly-clawed toes, the first and fourth 

 sometimes directed forward, sometimes backward ; 

 wings short and rounded ; tail long and graduated ; 

 head always crested. 



PLUMAGE. Soft and loose, drab in colour, almost 

 uniform. Feet and base of bill often red. No 

 sexual or seasonal difference ; young like parents. 



YOUNG. Naked and helpless. 



EGGS. Several ; pure white or spotted with red. 



NEST. A simple open structure of twigs in a bush. 



FOOD. Fruit and buds, sometimes insects. 



GAIT. They seldom leave the trees, where they creep 

 about like mice, resting on the whole shank, and 

 clinging in any position, sleeping back downwards ; 

 on the ground they hop, resting on their hocks 

 still. 



FLIGHT. Weak, effected by alternate fluttering of the 

 wings and skimming. 



NOTE. A harsh chatter. 



