446 . CORACIIFORMES CHAP. 



and lack the usual white throat. The Sub-family ranges from 

 Mexico to South Brazil. 



These birds are usually found towards the outskirts of forests 

 near water, where they frequent lofty trees, and commonly sit 

 crouched upon some dead or slender branch for hours, merely 

 moving the head from time to time. The food consists of in- 

 sects especially flies or moths which are often caught upon the 

 wing, and crushed against the boughs before they are swallowed, 

 the bird sallying forth and returning to its perch like a Fly- 

 catcher. The regular note is short and seldom heard ; but Jaca- 

 maralcyon has, according to the natives, an agreeable whistling 

 song. The flight is quick and jerky. Generally found soli- 

 tary or in pairs, the various species occasionally bathe in small 

 flocks. The three or more roundish white eggs are laid in holes 

 in banks, or possibly in old stumps. In some districts names 

 equivalent to " Large Humming-birds " are given to Jacamars ; 

 while early writers confounded them with Kingfishers. 



Urogalba paradisea of Guiana, Peru, and Brazil, and U. 

 amazonum of Upper Amazonia, characterized by an extremely 

 long and tapering median pair of tail-feathers, are dark blue, with 

 bronzy and green reflexions, brownish heads, and white throats. 

 Seven out of ten members of the genus Galbula are also 

 Amazonian ; the remainder reaching South Mexico, Bolivia, and 

 South-East Brazil, and one of them Trinidad and Tobago. G. 

 albirostris is brilliant bronzy-green above, with rufous lower parts 

 and white throat; most of its congeners being fairly similar, though 

 G. dialcothorax has a decided red and blue gloss on both sur- 

 faces and a white abdomen. Bracliygalba, which extends from 

 Colombia to Amazonia, includes six diminutive forms, with a vary- 

 ing admixture of green and brown above, of black, brown, rufous 

 and white below. Jacamaralcyon tridactyla of South-East Brazil is 

 greenish-black, with a brown, rufous-streaked head, and a white 

 mid -breast and abdomen. Gallalcyrhynchus leucotis of East 

 Ecuador and Upper Amazonia is chestnut, with white cheeks and 

 darker head and quills. Jacamerops grandis, ranging from Veragua 

 to Amazonia arid Ecuador, is bright coppery-green, with blackish 

 wings and tail, a white throat-patch, and a chestnut abdomen. 



Sub-fam. 2. Bucconinae. The Puff-birds differ structurally 

 from the Galbulinae only in having shorter and stouter beaks, 

 with hooked or incurved tips ; stronger metatarsi, which are scaly 



