The Identification of Birds 201 
northern parts of the world and the Cedar-Bird of North America, develop sealing-wax 
like appendages on the secondary wing-quills. 
The Chatterers (Cotingida) form a group confined to America, and almost entirely 
to its southern portion. Their bill varies in form, but has a wide gape and is often 
small, although at times somewhat crow-like; their shanks are usually covered with 
numerous small scales behind. This group includes many very brilhant and many 
equally curious forms, such as the Cocks-of-the-Rock (Rupicola), the Umbrella-Birds 
(Cephalopterus), and the Bell-Birds (Chasmorhynchus) (Fig. 14). Some of these are large 
‘for Passerine birds, the Common Umbrella-Bird even equalling a Rook im size. Their 
nesting-habits vary, but their ways of life as a whole are little known. Some of the 
Broad-Bills (Hurylaemide) were formerly confounded with them, but the union of the 
outer toes is distinctive, as is their Oriental habitat. 
AERIAL PASSERINES 
With very long wings, constantly chasing insects on the wing. 
The Swallows (Htrwndinide@) ave spread all over the world. ‘Their exceedingly 
small bills and feet and remarkable length of wing prevent confusion with any other 
Passerine birds (Fig. 15). They are often confounded with the non-Passerine Swifts 
(Cypselide), which are similar in form and habit, but the large hind-toe and coarsely- 
scaled shank of the Swallow, with its twelve tail-feathers against the Swift’s ten, will 
differentiate them; moreover, Swallows often perch, while Swifts seldom do so. heir 
nesting-habits vary a good deal, but the nest is either a mud-built structure or placed 
in a hole, generally speaking. 
_N.B—The Martins (Chelidon) differ from the rest of the group and all other 
Passerine birds by having the feet covered with down instead of scales. 
The Wood-Swallows or Swallow-Shrikes (Artamide) of the warm parts of the 
world—chiefly India and Australia—have much of the Swallow's build, but are 
easily distinguishable by their much larger bills, which are fairly long and _ stout. 
They do not spend so much time on the wing as the true swallows, and their nests 
are of quite a different type, bemg built in the ordinary way. They are sometimes 
classed with the Shrikes, and seem to be related to those birds. 
So far the wings and feet have given us distinctions, but now we come to some 
groups whose most striking feature is some peculiarity of the bill. 
PASSERINE BIRDS 
With slender, usually curved bills, haunting flowers for food, which consists of honey and insects. 
The Sun-Birds (Nectariuide), ranging through Africa and Southern Asia to 
Australia, are for the most part small but very beautiful birds, the males with highly 
glossy metallic plumage. Them bills are minutely serrated along the edge, though 
a hand-lens is needed to see this properly. They are often confused with the 
Humming-Birds of America, but these have very short legs and feed on the wing, 
while the Sun-Birds have legs of ordinary length and _ hop. They used to be 
confused with the Creepers, but have not their shape of- foot. The nest is usually 
hanging and roofed, with an entrance-hole at the side. 
The Flower-Peckers (Dicaeide), with much the same distribution, are exceedingly 
tiny birds with shorter beaks than the Sun-Birds, but still curved and saw-edged. 
They also build hanging nests as a rule. 
N.B.—Some of these birds have quite short, thick beaks, but their very small 
size—as a group they are the smallest birds in the Old World—distinguishes them 
easily as a rule. 
