244 BIRDS' NESTS 



As already indicated, the Chatterers (Cotingidse) 

 build several types of nest, concealed, open or cup- 

 shaped, and as we have now to repeat, domed or 

 roofed. Here, again, we are confronted with such 

 a small amount of material that a fairly exhaustive 

 review of the architecture of these birds is at present 

 impossible, and with nothing of special interest to 

 record, we must, with this brief allusion, pass on to 

 our next family of domed nest-builders. This includes 

 those gaudily arrayed Wren-shaped ground birds the 

 Pittas (Pittid^). The Pittas (an Old World group) are 

 mostly ground builders, as might naturally be inferred 

 from their eminently terrestrial habits, and construct 

 globular nests of twigs, roots, fibres, in some cases 

 cemented with mud, and lined with grass and moss. 



We now reach a specially interesting family of 

 birds, the Wood-hewers (Dendrocolaptid^). This 

 family is entirely confined to the Neotropical region, 

 and presents, so far as it is known, a singularly large 

 amount of variation in its architecture. Amongst the 

 most remarkable nest-builders in this family (indeed 

 we might say with equal truth throughout the entire 

 avine kingdom) are the Oven-birds (Fnnarms). Per- 

 haps the species whose nest is best known is the 

 Red Oven-bird (Funarius riifus). Possibly because the 

 nest is such an elaborate structure, and formed of 

 material that requires some time to harden, the birds 

 begin building it months before it is required for its 

 principal purpose, the rearing of the young. This 



