My Favourite Slimmer- Houses. 



upper part of the beak there hang down over the lower 

 part quill-like points really undeveloped feathers. 

 The purpose of this is more evident. It catches its 



prey in flight, 

 with its mouth 

 wide agape, and 

 this remarkable 

 development aids 

 it in retaining 

 them in its mouth 

 as it flies the 

 more that these 

 quills are said to 

 be touched with 

 a peculiar kind of 

 gum it secretes 

 for this purpose, 

 and to which the 



insects stick till the bird can swallow them or feed its 

 young with them. 



It builds no nest, but lays its two eggs- invariably 

 two, but no more in a depression at the foot of a tree, 

 either among sand or stones or decaying fern and 

 leaves ; and the bird as it broods is so like the sand or 

 stones or fern, that naturalists find in this a good 

 instance of what is called protective colouring. Indeed 

 it knows so well what colour of bark best matches its 

 plumage that you can rarely see it unless it moves, 

 which it is not very keen to do, and will keep quite 

 still till you are about to touch it, or even tread upon 

 it; then it flies off, pretending that you have hurt 

 it, goes tumbling about as though wing or leg were 

 broken, all to tempt you to follow it and divert you 

 from its " nest " cunning wee thing ! This instinct 



