204 Animal Life 
The Manakins (Pipride) are not to be confused with the ‘“ Mannikins” of bird- 
dealers, which, as mentioned above, ave small Weaver-Finches. The present group includes 
small -fruit-eating New World birds, mainly confined to South America, and haunting 
forests and bush. They have small beaks but wide gapes, the two outer front toes 
joined for half thew length, and are very often gorgeously coloured. Their shanks are 
separately scaled behind. 
The Tits (Paride), which are small tree-haunting birds found everywhere except in 
South America, have short strong bills, the nostrils covered with bristles, and strong 
feet (Fig. 17). They are mainly insectivorous, but many will cat vegetable food also, 
and they usually build in a hole and are remarkable for activity. 
The Crows (Corvide) occur all over the world, the group including Magpies 
and Jays as well as the typical Crows. They have strong bills covered at the 
base with bristles concealing the nostrils, and powerful feet, which they use in 
holding down food. Their nests are usually open. As a group, they are the largest 
of Passerine birds, none being smaller than a Thrush, and the Ravens the largest of 
the family, a3 well as probably the most intelligent of all birds. It so happens that 
the best-known of all Crows to English people—the Rook—has no bristles at the base 
of the beak except when young, for it always gets bald about the face early im life; 
but no one will mistake a Rook for any other Passerine bird. The Choughs also, 
which have slender bills, are obviously Crows in every other respect. 
The Birds of Paradise (Paradiseide) are really gaudily-dressed Crows, since in general 
size, form and habits they much resemble Jays; the feathermg at the base of the 
bill, however, is velvety instead of bristly, and the body-plumage in the males is 
often wonderfully gorgeous in colour and elaborate in form, long plumes or tufts of 
plumes, which are purely ornamental, being frequent,-especially on the head or flanks. 
The body plumage in many species is much like velvet in appearance and texture, 
or brilliantly metallic. These birds, which inhabit New Guinea and the adjacent 
countries, build simple open nests. 
The Bower Birds (Ptilonorhynchide), inhabiting the Australian region, are closely 
allied to the Birds of Paradise, and much resemble large Thrushes in general form, 
but usually have a stouter bill, often closely feathered at the base. Their plumage 
is seldom gorgeous, but they are interesting for the remarkable “bowers” or playing- 
places which they build and decorate with various objects. The real nest is an 
ordinary cup-shaped structure. These birds feed chiefly on fruit, and the main interest 
in their habits hes in the bower-building instinct, whereby in this particular respect 
they are raised nearer to man than any other animals, since no other creature builds 
a house and decorates its precincts merely for social amusement. 
vA Fig. 17. AS 
[Mr. Lydekker’s series of four articles on ‘Animal Dentition”’ will be continued in our next 
number, This, the second, will treat of Reptiles.] 
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