366 THE BELL BIED. 



The female, if disturbed, darts from the nest in alarm to a considerable distance ; no 

 notes of wailing or lamentation are heard from either parent, nor are they ever seen, not- 

 withstanding you are in the tree examining the nest and young. These nests are less 

 frequently found than many others, owing not only to the comparatively few numbers 

 of the bird, but to the remarkable muteness of the species. The season of love, which 

 makes almost every other small bird musical, has no such effect on them, for they 

 continue at that interesting period as silent as before." 



Like the waxen Chatterer, the Cedar Bird is held in great estimation as an article of 

 food ; and as in the autumn and end of summer it becomes very fat in consequence of the 

 enormous amount of berries and other food which it consumes, it is in great requisition in the 

 markets, being sold in large numbers and for a very small price. Even as early as May 

 the Cedar Bird begins its depredations on the cherries, always choosing the best and ripest 

 fruit, and continues its robberies, undisturbed by scarecrows or any other means except 

 the loaded gun. The Cedar Bird does not limit itself to fruits and berries, but also feeds 

 largely on insects, chasing and devouring flies and other winged insects in a manner very 

 similar to that of the flycatchers, but not exhibiting the airy liveliness and quick vivacity 

 of those birds. 



The general colour of the Cedar Bird is yellowish brown, the upper parts of the body 

 being fawn-coloured, rather darker on the head, which is surmounted with a long and 

 pointed crest, which can be raised almost perpendicularly from the head. The cliin 

 is black, the breast and abdomen yellow, and the under tail-coverts white. The wings 

 are deep slaty blue, and the upper tail-coverts are slate-blue, deepening into black, which 

 also extends over the greater part of the tail. The extremities of the tail-feathers are rich 

 yellow. A rather broad line of black crosses the forehead, and passes round the head, 

 enveloping the eyes in its course. The secondary feathers of the wings are adorned with 

 wax-like appendages resembling those of the Bohemian chatterer, and their number 

 is variable, sometimes being only four or five, and sometimes as many as nine. Wilson 

 supposes that their object is to guard the tips of the feathers from being worn away, but 

 this conjecture does not seem to carry much weight with it. The appendages are nothing 

 more than horny expansions of the shafts. As some female birds are without these wax- 

 like ornaments, it was once supposed that they only belonged to the male bird ; but it is 

 now ascertained that they are found in both sexes alike. On several occasions Wilson 

 found one of the tail-feathers decorated with a waxen tip similar to those of the wing. 

 The colour of the female is similar to that of the male, but the tints are not so brilliant. 

 This bird is much smaller than the European species, being only six inches and a half in 

 length, and very slenderly built. 



As the numbers of acknowledged species among birds amount to several thousands, it 

 is evident that in a comprehensive work of this character it will be impossible to mention 

 the whole of the feathered tribe, and that only those birds can be described which act as 

 representatives of the several groups into which the division has been separated. Passing 

 over, therefore, many remarkable species, we arrive at one which is perhaps as extra- 

 ordinary a bird as any that has hitherto been figured. This is the celebrated Bell Bird, 

 or Campaneko of America, so called on account of the singular resemblance which its 

 note bears to the slow, solemn tolling of a church bell. 



The Bell Bird is about the size of an ordinary pigeon, and its plumage is quite white. 

 From a pigeon it can, however, be readily distinguished, even at some distance, by the 

 curious horn-like structure which grows from its forehead, and rises to a height of some three 

 inches when disturbed. This "horn" is jetty black in colour, sprinkled very sparingly 

 with little tufts of snowy- white down, and as it has a communication with the palate, has 

 probably something to do with the bell-like sound of the voice. The song or cry of the 

 Campanero has been admirably described by Waterton, in his well-known " Wanderings 

 in South America." 



" His note is loud and clear, like the sound of a bell, and may be heard at the distance 

 of three miles. In the midst of these extensive wilds, generally on the dried top of an 

 aged mora, almost out of your reach, you see the Campanero. No sound or song from 



