140 NATURAL HISTORY. 



flexible, with long and slightly-curved claws. The legs 

 of these birds are not stout, for they are most of the 

 time on the wing ; and, on the other hand, the wings 

 and muscles are very large in proportion to the size of 

 the body. The plumage varies much, but, on the whole, 

 this order excels all the others in the beauty and variety 

 of its colors. The male is commonly larger than the fe- 

 male, and its colors are usually more gay. The perchers 

 live hi pairs, and build their nests in trees and bushes 

 with some few exceptions, showing considerable skill in 

 their construction. The singing-birds belong chiefly to 

 this order, the only other singers being among the Scan- 

 sores. As the characteristics of birds are most fully de- 

 veloped in this order, it is the typical order of the class. 

 236. There is much variety in the food of the different 

 kinds of perching birds, and their beaks present differ- 

 ences corresponding to the nature of the food. Taking 

 the form of the beak as the basis of division, there are 

 four groups in this order: 1. Conirostres (conus, a cone, 

 and rostrum, a beak), cone-billed birds, or birds having a 

 cone-shaped beak. The greater portion of these are omniv- 

 orous, 93, but some are exclusively granivorous. The 

 Crows and Finches are examples of this group. In Fig. 



Fig. 116. Bill of a Grosbeak. 



116 is a representation of a cone-bill, the bill of a Gros- 

 beak. 2. Dentirostres (dens, a tooth, and rostrum), tooth- 



