SCANSORES. CUCULID^E. 



stomach crammed with the berries of the fiddle-wood, 

 (Cytharaxylon,} which had stained the whole inner 

 surface of a bright crimson. Flocks of these birds 

 were at that time feeding on the glowing clusters 

 profusely ripe upon the trees. Stationary insects are 

 the staple food; to obtain which, they hop about 

 grassy places, and are often seen to jump, or to 

 run eagerly at their prey; on which occasions the 

 long tail, continuing the given motion after the 

 body has stopped, is thrown forward in an odd 

 manner, sometimes nearly turning the bird head 

 over heels. It is probably to protect the eyes from 

 the stalks of weeds and blades of grass in these 

 headlong leaps, that the projecting brows are fur- 

 nished with a row of short but very stiff overhanging 

 bristles ; but what purpose was served by the high 

 and thin knife-blade of a beak, I was ignorant, till 

 informed by Mr. Hill, who observes that it "enables 

 the bird to open out the soft earth, and seek for its 

 insect food ; it also facilitates its access to the vermin 

 imbedded in the long close hair of animals. I am 

 assured," he adds, " that if a patch of cows' dung be 

 examined after Crotophagas have been searching for 

 the larvae of insects, it will be found furrowed as if 

 a miniature plough had passed through it." 



The form of this organ has given occasion, in 

 Hayti, where also it is common, to the appellation 

 of " bout de tabac," that is " bowl of tobacco pipe ; " 

 it is also called there Judeo. 



The name Crotophaga, (tick-eater,) is no misno- 

 mer, as has been, without foundation, asserted by 

 some who never saw the living bird. Almost every 



