GREEN TODY. 79 



of that intimate resemblance in the structure of 

 their extremities, which led Brisson, Latreille, and 

 Cuvier, to arrange the Halcyons in company with 

 the Todies, would induce one to conclude that there 

 was some propinquity in their natures, without 

 any great knowledge of Natural History. The 

 difference of the element in which they severally 

 seek their food, does not widen the affinity between 

 them, for the Jacamars of America, and the Martin- 

 chasseurs of Africa, or King-hunters, as they are 

 called, to distinguish them, in their pursuit of 

 a terrestrial or aerial prey, from the Kingfishers 

 or Martin-pecheurs, which seek theirs only in the 

 water, are placed in no less near a relationship of 

 habits and structure. The similarity is remarkably 

 increased, when we go on to the habit of burrowing, 

 which prevails alike among all these birds, and to 

 the syndactyle form of the feet. These resem- 

 blances remove all doubt about their classification. 



" The Spaniards of Hispaniola call the Green 

 Tody by a very appropriate name, the Barrancali, 

 from the barrancas or earthy ravine-cliffs in which 

 it builds; barranca being the appellation for the 

 deep breaks and gullies made by the mountain- 

 floods." 



A nest is in my possession, attributed to the 

 Tody, which, if rightly appropriated, is a remarkable 

 deviation from a general habit. A person of in- 

 telligence informed me, about the middle of May, 

 that he knew of a " Red-breast " building in a 

 tree ; at which he was surprised, knowing its habit 

 of burrowing to breed. I assured him that he must 



