25



less myriads of insects. My bird in his cage, and afterwards in

the aviary where, thanks to the Parrakeets, there are several of

these dead trees, some arranged horizontally, would at first, and

until he had lifted off every particle of bark, creep along the

bough with the greatest caution, minutely examining the bark,

under which he would from time to time insert his bill, pushing

it under the bark as far as it would go, until the bark came

against the forehead. Opening the bill in the well - known

manner of many of his relations, slowly but steadily the dead

and perhaps half-rotten bark would be uplifted, and underneath

he would cautiously spy for insects. A bird doing this continu¬

ously would be continuously rubbing his forehead and the hinder

extremities of the lower mandible against the projecting edges

of the bark and other matter ; and one has only to consider what

this means to perceive the value of the developments referred to.

And in my opinion it is by hunting in this and kindred w 7 ays

amongst the boughs and rank arboreal growths that the Cassiques

generally obtain a large part of their food in their wild state.


I should like to have closed this account of the Black

Cassique by saying something pretty ; but, alas, this may not be,

for I fear that the members of this particular species are a bad lot.


The Cassiques (CassicincsJ as a body, so far as we know

them, are a hard-working, industrious, and respectable sub¬

family. They are said to build elaborate purse-like nests,

which are suspended from the branches of lofty trees, as

may be seen on reference to the illustration in the Royal

Natural History already alluded to. It is from this habit

of suspending their nests in some form or another that many

of their relations are known as Hangnests. But the Black

Cassique will not build a nest for itself. It will not soil its hands

with the marks of honest toil. It is far too cunning to work so

long as honest folk exist who are soft enough to work for it.

Like a good many of the Cuckoos, Cow-birds, etc., and not a few

specimens of the genus Homo, Mephistopheles will play but he

will not work. To use an expression which is common in some

parts of Scotland, it is his custom to “ sorn upon his relations.”

According to good authority, Mrs. Mephistopheles (I hope this

title is due to her, and that she does not take after her disreputable

connections the Cow-birds— Molothri) places her eggs in the nest

of some relative, from preference selecting that of the Yellow

Cassique, Cassiczis persicus. In those regions which are not

frequented by this latter species, rather than build a house of

her own she will put up with that of the Crested Cassique,



