200 Animal Lite 
root, and sit quietly on some favourite perch, making short sallies after insects at 
intervals (Fig. 10). Some have longer legs and move about more on their feet, and 
the group merges imperceptibly into the Robins. They usually build open nests, 
and are always small. The first plumage of the young is buff-spotted. 
The Shrikes (Lantide), found almost everywhere except in South America, are 
strong-billed, large-headed insect-eaters, with, in typical cases, a decidedly hawk-like 
beak (Fig. 11). They ave sedentary like the Flycatchers, but take larger prey, being 
bigger birds as a rule; often they feed on other birds or on small reptiles and 
mammals. The first plumage of the young is barred. The nest is open and placed 
in a bush or tree. 
N.B.—The type is not constant in this family; some Shrikes, chiefly African, 
have the very short wings, strong feet, and general habits of Babblers, from most of 
which their strong bills separate than; others, as the familiar “ Australian Magpies ” 
(Gymnorhina), look and behave much like Crows, but differ by their exposed nostrils. 
The Drongos (Dicruride) are much like the typical stout-billed Shrikes, but ditfer 
in their forked tails, plumage generally glossy black throughout (rarely grey) ahd in 
only having ten tail-feathers, whereas twelve is the usual number in Passerine birds. 
They are found almost throughout warm regions in the Old World, and make 
themselves conspicuous by their attacks on other birds, often in defence of them open 
nests high up in a tree. 
The Tyrants (Zyrannide) ave American, and especially South American, birds. In 
general habits they resemble Flycatchers or Shrikes, according to thew size, which 
varies a great deal; many also, such as the well-known American King-Bird (Lyrannas 
carolinensis), domineer over other birds like the Drongos. From the Old-World groups 
which they resemble they may be distinguished by the scaling at the back of the 
shank. They are usually olive or grey in colour, and often have an orange or flame- 
coloured crest. In America they are often called Flycatchers, as are Bee-Haters in India. 
N.B—tThis is another group showing many forms. Some species have legs of 
ordinary length and hop about, or search for food on the ground, but the peculiarity 
of the shank above alluded to will distinguish them from the Warblers and Chats of 
the Old World. ‘Their nesting-habits vary a good deal. 
SHORT-LEGGED BUT ACTIVE TREE-BIRDS 
Feeding mostly on fruit. 
The Bulbuls (Pycnonotide) are very characteristic of the warm parts of Asia and 
Africa. They have bills of medium size and tails inclined to length, and are often 
crested; frequently there is a patch of red or yellow under the tail. They are mainly 
fruit-eaters, and build open nests in bushes. Sometimes classed with the Babblers, they 
are certainly nearly related to them through some more or less intermediate forms, 
but in general habits they are very different, since they fly about much more and do 
not keep so much to cover (Fig. 12). 
The Orioles (Oriolide) are birds with strong, fairly stout bills and rather long 
wings (Fig. 13). They are commonly coloured richly with yellow, red, or olive-green 
combined with black, and are rather large, equalling or exceeding a Thrush. They 
inhabit most of the Old World. and build beautiful hammock-like nests slung in the 
forks of branches; they keep very much to the trees, hardly ever coming to the ground. 
The Waxwings (Ampelide) are a curious group containing only a few species, 
found in Hurope, Asia, and America. They have a small bill with wide gape, most 
other birds so distinguished being particularly insectivorous, not mainly frugivorous as 
these are. Most of them ave crested, and the best-known species, the Waxwing of the 
