The Wattled Starling. BIRDS. The Satin Bower-bird. 



353 



a very diflorent situation for tlieir nests from that cliosen 

 l)y tlio Starling, building a structure of grass on the 

 ground close to or within a bush or tussock of grass. 

 During the autumn and winter they are much esteemed 

 as an article of food ; and as they fly in flocks, and are 

 easily shot at this season, they are brought to market 

 in great numbers. 



THE WATTLED STARLING {DiloplMs canmculattis), 

 an inhabitant of South Africa, is chiefly remarkable for 

 having the skin of the face quite bare of feathers, and 

 produced into a pair of wattles, whilst another pair 

 descend from the base of the bill along the front of the 

 tiu'oat. These naked parts are black ; the general 

 colour of the plumage is reddish-gray, palest beneath, 

 and the wings and tail are black, with a variable bronzed 

 lustre. The length of the bird is ten or eleven inches. 

 This bird is gregarious and noisy, and in other respects 

 resembles the Starling ; it frequents the herds of buf- 

 faloes and other cattle, aud feeds on insects, worms, 

 and berries. According to Le Vaillant, it has the 

 cunning shJ^less of the crows, keeping carefully out of 

 gunshot, while an unarmed man may approach it with- 

 out exciting alarm. 



THE OXPECKER {Bnphaija africana), which is 

 also sometimes called the Beef-eater, is a common bird 



in many of the warmer parts of Africa, where it follows 

 the singular mode of life from which it has obtained its 

 name. Perchmg upon the backs of oxen and other 

 cattle, it sets to work busily to extract from their skins 

 the larva; of the oestridre or hot flies, with which they 

 are almost constantly infested, and wliich often give 

 rise to painful tumours ; it creeps about in all direc- 

 tions upon the body of the ox by means of its powerful 

 feet, which exhibit some resemblance to those of a 

 woodpecker, although the toes are in the ordinary 

 position. The bill of the bird is well adapted for 

 digging and squeezing out the larva;; it is short and 

 stout, and inflated towards the extremity. The cattle 

 are said to submit with exemplary patience to the 

 operations of the bird, as if aware of the benefit to be 

 derived from them. The Oxpccker is a small bird, 

 measuring between eight and nine inches in length ; 

 its plumage is reddish-brown above, and pale tawny 

 beneath, with the belly nearly white ; the bill is yellow 

 at the base, and coral-red at the extremity. It lives 

 in small bands, consisting of seven or eight individuals, 

 and is very shy. 



THE SATIN BOWER-BIRD {PtHonorhynclmsholoscri- 

 ceus). — None of the birds of tliis family are more deserv- 

 ing of notice than the Bower-birds of Australia, on 



Fig. 11.5. 



The Satin Eower-bird (Ptilonorliyuclius holosenueus). 



account of the siugular habits from which their name 

 is derived. These bhds construct a sort of bower or 

 arbour of twigs, which they adorn in various ways, and 

 then amuse themselves by running about and through 

 their edifice as if enjoying the pleasures of a dance. 

 Vol. I. 



The Satin Bower-bird— fig. 115— which is an inha- 

 bitant of the forests of New South Wales, measures 

 about thirteen inches in length, and is of a brilliant 

 blue-black colour, with the wngs and tail black, and 

 the bill and feet yellow. The female is of an olive 



a Y 



