458 MANUAL OF ZOOLOGY. 



climbing, some, however, of the Parrots moving about actively 

 on the ground. The colours of the plumage are generally ex- 

 tremely bright and gaudy; and they live for the most part upon 



Fig. 177. A, Foot of Woodpecker (Picus) ; B, Head of Love-bird (Aga^ornis). 



fruits. The Parrots are divided into numerous sub-families, 

 such as the Cockatoos, the true Parrots and the Parrakeets. 

 They are all natives of hot climates, abounding especially in 

 tropical America and in the forests of Australia. The true 

 Macaws (Araince) are exclusively American ; and the true 

 Parrakeets, Pezoporincz, are exclusively confined to the eastern 

 hemisphere, being especially characteristic of Australia. 



In the last family of the Scansores are the Toucans (Rham- 

 phastida), characterised by having a bill which is always very 

 large, longer than the head, and sometimes of comparatively 

 gigantic size. The mandibles are, however, to a very great 

 extent hollowed out into air-cells, so that the weight of the bill 

 is much less than would be anticipated from its size. The 

 Toucans live chiefly upon fruits, and are all confined to the 

 hotter regions of South America, frequenting the forests in con- 

 siderable flocks. 



ORDER VI. INSESSORES. The sixth order of Birds is that of 

 the Insessores, or Perchers often spoken of as the Passeres, or 

 " Passerine " Birds. They are defined by Owen as follows : 



" Legs slender, short, with three toes before and one behind, 

 the two external toes united by a very short membrane " (fig. 

 178, A, B). 



" The Perchers form the largest and by far the most numer- 

 ous order of birds, but are the least easily recognisable by dis- 

 tinctive characters common to the whole group. Their feet, 

 being more especially adapted to the delicate labours of nidi- 

 fication, have neither the webbed structure of those of the 

 Swimmers, nor the robust strength and destructive talons which 



