ORDER SCANSOKI. 



FAMILY ZYGO DACTYL A. YOKE-TIED. 



73 



cellular structure within ; nostrils, close to base of beak, oval and patulous ; 

 ti'i't short, and toes distinct. 



4. CEYX (Gr. KJJ, a sea fowl). Beak very long, straight, pointed, and 

 angular ; inner toe not apparent. 



5. PRIONITES (Gr. irpiwv, a saw). Beak strong, tough, convex above 

 and bent towards the tip ; edges of the mandibles toothed like a saw ; 

 nostrils basal, lateral, oblique, patulous ; wings short, the first three quills 

 graduated, the fourth and fifth the longest ; legs of moderate size ; lateral 

 toes of unequal length, inner toe very short, outer connected with the 

 middle as far as the second joint. 



6. TODDS. Beak long, straight, obtuse, much wider than its depth, and 

 the ridge distinct ; tip of the upper mandible divided, the lower obtusely 

 truncated ; nostrils far from the base on the surface of the beak, patulous 

 and rounded ; legs of moderate length, the lateral toes unequal, the outer 

 connected to its third, and the inner to its second joint. 



SYNDACTYLA. DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIES. 



MEROPS Bee-eater. The Bee-eaters have a great resemblance to the 

 Swallows, in the length of their body, their white throat, and long wings ; 

 and like them they are continually flying about in search of food, occasion- 

 ally perching on dead branches, but rarely upon the ground, for which the 

 shortness of their legs ill adapts them. Like the Kingfishers and many 

 Swallows, they burrow in banks, and at the bottom of their hole make a 

 nest of moss. They feed on Bees, Wasps, and other insects. If not 

 teased, they are easily approached, but are readily frightened by gun-shot ; 

 if any one come near their nests they plunge into them, uttering at the 

 same time shrill cries, and if the disturbance be repeated they leave them : 

 as they are fat and fleshy they afford good food, but on account of the 

 toughness of their skin must be previously flayed. The females and young 

 have the same colours as the male, but they are less vivid. They are con- 

 fined to the hot climates of the old world, and visit some of the southern 

 countries periodically as birds of passage. 



The Common Bee-eater (M. Apiaster) is about eleven inches long and 

 seventeen in breadth ; the forehead whitish tinged with green ; back of 

 the head, nape, and top of the back chestnut, the remainder of the back 

 yellowish-red ; middle of the wings deep rust ; their quills and those of the 

 tail greenish-olive, the middle two of the latter being an inch longer than 

 the others ; from the angle of the gape a black line passes through the eye 

 and upon the ear ; the throat light golden-yellow, and bounded below by 

 a semicircular black collar ; under parts bluish-green ; beak black ; iris red ; 

 legs brown. The colours of the female more dull. This bird is occasion- 

 ally found in the south of Germany, Switzerland, and France, where it is 

 more common ; rarely in England ; frequently in the south of Europe ; and 

 in autumn it migrates towards Egypt. It feeds on Bees, Wasps, Drones, 

 Grasshoppers, Chafers, Gnats, and other insects, builds in deep holes pierced 

 in the banks of rivers, and lays five or seven purely white eggs. The cry 

 of the Bee-eater is described by some Naturalists as consisting of the syl- 

 lables yrulyrurural, by others as crou, crou, crow, accompanied, as Sonnini 

 states, with a cracking of the beak. As Grasshoppers are favourite food 

 of the Bee-eaters, the children in the Isle of Candia make use of them as 

 a bait, fastening them on a crooked pin to which a string is attached, and 

 thus as it were fish for the bird. 



ALCEDO Halcyon, or Kingfisher. The first portion of its name is taken 

 from the royal splendour of its plumage, and the second from its usual 

 food. It is easily distinguished from other British Birds by its large body, 

 short and thick neck, very long bill, diminutive feet, and short tail. The 

 Kingfisher is a truly handsome bird ; it is about seven inches long, of which 

 the tail is one inch and a quarter. The beak is a horny-brown colour ; 

 irides dark brown ; throat reddish-white ; a broad orange stripe extends 

 from the nostrils beyond the eyes ; the wing-coverts and tertials are dark 

 green studded with spots of verditer-blue ; scapular and back a brilliant 

 sky-blue ; cheeks and ear-covers pale chestnut ; under parts chestnut ; tail 

 dark blue above, blackish underneath. (Plate 6.) 



The number of species is twenty-four, which are divided into three 



subgenera, namely, 1. Arrow-shaped tails; 2. Square tails; 3. Forked 

 tails. 



BUCEEOS HorMll. The birds which forms this genus are remarkable 

 for being allied with the Toucans by the size of their beak ; with the King- 

 fishers and Bee-eaters in the form of their feet ; and with the Raven genus 

 in their general habits. They live indiscriminately both on vegetables and 

 the smaller kinds of animals, and do not even despise carrion. Some of 

 them have the horny crest, whilst others either do not have it at all or 

 only very small, which has induced Cuvier to make two divisions, those 

 with crests seventeen species, and those without crests eight species. 

 They are natives of Java, the East Indies, Ceylon, and parts of Africa. 



CEYX. This genus has been separated from the Alcedo or Kingfisher genus, 

 in consequence of the inner toe not coming through the skin ; but in other 

 respects, it is very similar to that genus. There are but two species, the 

 C. Tridactyltts and the C. Tribrachys. 



PRIONITES. All these birds are natives of the hottest parts of America, 

 and are found in the forests, building in the holes of trees ; they live prin- 

 cipally on insects, and occasionally on small birds. There are four species, 

 one of which measures fourteen inches in length. 



TODUS. Vieillot enumerates a considerable number of species in his 

 genus Todus ; Temrninck, however, restricts it to a single one, and places 

 all the rest among his Platyrhynchi, which are distinguished by the flat- 

 tened curved tip of their beak, by its ridge being indistinct, by the nostrils 

 being partially closed by a little feathered membrane, and by the connection 

 of the outer and middle toes to the first joint. That one is the Green Toddy 

 (T. Viridis), native of St. Domingo, where it is called the Ground Parro- 

 quet, from its green colour and its remaining almost always on the ground. 



The Kingfisher is common throughout the greater part of Europe, and in 

 our country it remains throughout the year, its haunts being the vicinity of 

 streams, ponds, rivers, and brooks. It is a voracious though beautiful 

 bird ; hovering over the water, watching till some unwary fish rises near 

 the surface, it suddenly drops down and secures its prey. It devours not 

 only small fish but leeches and water-insects. It breeds in holes, either 

 excavated by itself or by the water rats ; the female lays from five to seven 

 eggs which she hatches, being supplied with food by her mate during the 

 period of incubation. The Kingfisher is solitary in its habits, preferring 

 quiet, secluded nooks, or other sheltered places, where it may be safe from 

 the intrusion of man. 



ORDER III. SCANSORI. CLIMBERS. 



THE structure and arrangement of the toes in the various genera of this 

 Order, with the exception of the Trogons, are such, that they possess a 

 powerful grasp, of which certain of the genera avail themselves to climb 

 the trunks of trees in quest of food, which consists of insects or fruits. 

 Their outer toe is directed backwards, like a thumb. They nestle gene- 

 rally in the holes of decayed trees. 



Family YOKE-TIED ; Zygodactyla. 



ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLES. 



PLATE 7. 



Genera. Species. Common Name. 



i Macroura - - - - Long-tailed Jacaraar. 



Galbula 1 Grandis - - - - Great Jacamar. 



f Martins - - - - Great Black Woodpecker. 



' " " I Tridactylus - - - Three-toed Woodpecker. 



Yum Torquila - - - - Wryneck. 



Picumnus - - - - Minutissimus - - - Smaller Picus. 



Other Genera of this Family : Bucco, Crotophaga, Cuculus, Muso- 

 phaga, Phosnicophaus, Pogonias, Pteroglossus, Ramphastos, Scythrops, 

 Tamatia, Trogon. 



CHARACTERS OF THE GENERA. 



1. GALBULA. Beak slender, long, straight, or slightly bent at the point, 

 and four-sided ; nostrils lateral, close to the base of the beak, and partially 



