190 



THE MALA Y PRO VINCE 



Barbets. 



Resembling the woodpeckers in many respects are the barbets, 

 the species of which vary in size from the dimensions of a wren to 

 those of a green woodpecker. They have strong beaks, with coarse bristles around 

 the base, and inhabit the edges and clearings of forests. All of them, but more 

 especially the larger ones, are lazy birds of dreamy appearance, in the habit of 



sitting for hours at a time 

 on a branch, digesting their 

 food, and from time to time 

 uttering their loud shrill 

 call in monotonous repeti- 

 tion. They take to flight 

 reluctantly, and never go 

 far on the wing, although 

 the smaller kinds are in 

 f this respect somewhat more 

 active, and are also better 

 climbers. The food of these 

 birds consists of berries and 

 insects and their larvae, 

 especially those living be- 

 neath bark or in decaying 

 wood. In this respect as 

 well as in their habit of 

 nesting in holes (which some 

 cut out for themselves), and 

 in their eggs, the barbets 

 resemble woodpeckers. The 

 distribution of the group 

 extends over the tropical 

 countries of Asia, Africa, 

 and America, but the species 

 of the genera Megakema 

 and Chotorhea (distinguish- 

 ed by the very long bristles 

 around the mouth) are ex- 

 clusively Malayan. A well- 

 known representative of the 

 latter is the red-headed 

 barbet {Chotorhea versi- 

 color) which ranges from the Malay Peninsula to Borneo and Sumatra. 



Another allied family is that of the trogons, which differ from 

 the generally green barbets by their soft and glossy plumage being in 

 most cases gorgeously coloured. They derive their name from the toothed edges of 

 their short strong beaks, which are bent like a hook and fairly wide at the base. 

 Although chiefly American, trogons are represented in Africa and southern Asia. 

 They live in the depths of the forest, perching lazily on the branches, looking out 



BED-HEADED BARBET. 



Trogons. 



