84 



CHAPTER Y. 



THE FLO WEE-PECKERS -THE CHATTERERS THE SWALLOWS THE TANAGERS 

 THE TRUE FINCHES THE HANG-NESTS. 



THE FLOWER-PECKERS The Bornean Species -THE AUSTRALIAN FLOWER-PECKER THE CHATTERERS Characters 

 THE BOHEMIAN WAXWING, OR WAXEN CHATTERER Superstitions regarding it Professor Newton's Account of Mr 

 Wolley's Discovery of its Nest and Eggs Description of the Bird THE SWALLOWS Professor Garrod's Explana- 

 tion of the grounds for placing Swallows and Swifts in Separate Orders THE ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS -THE 

 SMOOTH-WINGED SWALLOWS The Three English Species THE COMMON SWALLOW Harbinger of Summer Buffon'a 

 Anecdote Migrant Usefulness Nest THE TANAGERS Insect Eaters Brilliant Plumage Species THE 

 SCARLET TANAGER Dr. Brewer's Account of its Habits THE TRUE FINCHES The Two Sections Palate 

 Characters Nest of Chaffinch Nesting of Bullfinch Palate and Bill Characters in Buntings THE CROSSBILLS- 

 Habits Curiously-formed Bills -Longfellow's "Legend of the Crossbill "THE HANG-NESTS The Three Sub- 

 Families Habits of the Cow-bird THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE Dr. Brewer's Description of its Habits THE 

 BOAT-TAIL. 



THE FOURTH FAMILY OF FINCH-LIKE BIRDS. THE VICMID& FLOWER-PECKERS. 

 THESE beautiful little birds, of which a large number are known, are almost exclusively Indian 

 and Australian, only two species being found in Africa, where they are confined to the forest 

 region of the west coast; these are Pholidornis rushice and P. rubrifrous. Their habits are 

 described as being very similar to those of the English Titmice and Gold-crests. They build very 

 beautiful nests, like a purse. Mr. Motley thus describes the Bornean species, the Black-chinned 

 Flower-pecker (Z). nigrimentuni)* : 



"These little birds are not uncommon in Labiian, and have something of the habits of 

 the English Regulus ; they haunt low brushwood, and continually utter a low, shrill chirp. They 

 are very fearless, allowing themselves to be almost touched before they take to flight. The Malay 

 name, which signifies Spark Bird, is very appropriate, as, when darting about among the bushes, 

 the cock bird really looks as bright as a flash of fire. The nest of this species is about the shape 

 and size of a goose's egg, and is suspended by the small end from some slender twig of a tall 

 tree. It is built of fine green moss and a sort of brown byssus, and lined with some white fibre 

 and a few small feathers. One of these nests was found on a tree which was felled in the jungle, 

 and all the young birds, however, except one, had been killed by the fall. The survivor Avas brought 

 to Mrs. Motley, who succeeded by great care in bringing it up, feeding it at first upon rice and 

 banana pulp. As soon as it was strong enough it was placed in a small cage. Though very 

 restless, never being for one moment still, it was perfectly tame and fearless, and would sit upon 

 the finger without attempting to fly away; and though its whole body, feathers and all, might 

 have been shut up in a walnut, it would peck at a finger held towards it with great fierceness. 

 For a long time it woxild only take food from the hand, but afterwards, when food was given it, it 

 dropped, and shook its wings rapidly, as we see a hen Partridge occasionally do. At first its 

 beak was short, straight, and sharp, but as it grew its form gradually changed to that of the adult 

 Dicseums ; it also changed its diet altogether, refusing rice, and only occasionally taking plantain. 

 For some weeks it fed exclusively upon sugar and water, which it sucked up like a Humming- 

 bird. It was very fond of bathing in a large shell full of water placed in its cage." 



THE AUSTRALIAN FLOWER-PECKER (D. hirwidinaceum}. 



Mr. Gould writes t: " By far the greater number of the Australians are, I believe, unacquainted 

 with this beautiful little bird, yet there is scarcely an estate in either of the colonies in which it 

 may not be found, either as a permanent resident or an occasional visitor. Its natural disposition, 

 leading it to confine itself almost exclusively to the topmost branches of the loftiest trees, is 

 doubtless the cause of its not being more genei-ally known than it is, its rich scarlet breast not 

 even attracting notice at the distance from the ground at which it generally keeps ; and in 

 obtaining specimens I was more frequently made aware of its presence by its pretty warbling song 

 than by its movements among the branches : so small an object, in fact, is most difiicult of 

 detection among the thick foliage of the lofty Casuarinw, to which trees it is extremely partial, 



* Motley and Dillwyn : "Nat. Hist. Labuan," p. 18. f " Handbook to the Birds of Australia," Vol. I., p. 581. 



