THE BROADBILLS. 



119 



THE EIGHTH FAMILY OF THE MESOMYODI, OR SOXGLESS BIRDS. 



THE MANAKINS (Piprida;). 



The Manakins are closely allied to the Tyrants, and form a small family of American birds, 

 consisting of about sixty species. All the Manakins are of small size, and inhabit the wooded portions 

 of South America, and they are somewhat shy in their habits. Of the latter, however, very little 

 has been recorded. 



THE NINTH FAMILY OF THE MESOMYODI, OR SOXGLESS BIRDS. 



THE BROADBILLS (Eurylamiidai). 



In appearance the Broadbills most resemble some of the broad-billed Rollers (Eurystomus} 

 with which they have been commonly classed by naturalists, but of late years more minute study of 



BKOADhlLL 



their anatomy and general structure has resulted in placing them near the Chatterers of 

 America, of which they appear to be a representative form in the Far East. The species are only 

 about seven in number, all of them being confined to the Himalayan Mountains, the hills of 

 the Burmese countries, the Malayan peninsula, and the Indo-Malayan islands. Writing of these 

 birds in Tenasserim, Mr. Davidson says : " The Broadbills, I think, might well be designated a stupid 

 set of birds, but the Lunated Broadbill (Serilopkns lunatics) is the most stupid of the lot. They usually 

 move about in small parties, and when one meets with a party every bird of which it consists can 

 without difficulty be secured, as the birds take no notice of their companions being shot, and do not 

 appear to be at all alarmed at the report of the gun, seldom moving farther than the next branch, 

 sometimes not moving at all, when the gun is fired. Their note consists of a single chir-r-r-r. They 

 never walk or hop about the branches, though they will fly from branch to branch. They feed chiefly 

 on insects, many of which they seize on the wing." * The same author writes of the Sumatran 



* " Stray Feathers," 1878, p. 89. 



