THE SINGING BIRDS. 



I 77 



graduated, very narrow towards the tip, and do not extend beyond the base of the small tail, which 

 is either conical or quite straight at its extremity. The short high beak is compressed at its centre, 

 slightly incised directly behind the hook that terminates the upper mandible, and furnished with a 

 sharp ridge at its culmen. The tarsi are high and thin, and the toes short, the outer and centre toes 

 being united as far as the first joint. The compact thick plumage is extremely short in the region ot 

 the forehead, and takes the form of fine bristles around the nostrils and the base of the beak. In the 

 coloration of the male, black predominates, affording a rich contrast to the glowing fiery tints that 

 adorn some parts of his body ; whilst the females and young usually appear in a modest garb of 

 greyish green. The Manakins live in pairs, or small parties, and principally frequent the inmost 

 glades of their native woods and forests, hopping from bough to bough with untiring sprightliness, and 

 enlivening the most gloomy recesses of their sylvan haunts by their gay colours and animated twitter. 

 Before noon these pairs or parties unite with other birds in search of food, and at the approach 'of 

 the midday heat again retire to their favourite sheltered nooks. Insects, fruits, and berries of various 

 kinds, constitute their principal food, and to obtain these they occasionally venture near the abode of 

 man. Schomburghk mentions having seen several of these usually very timid birds approach his 

 tent daily, in order to gather the ripe fruit from some fig-trees that grew close to his encampment. 

 The nest of the Manakins is carelessly formed of moss, and lined with cotton wool. The two eggs 

 that cons itute a brood are unusually elongated, of a pale tint, and marked with delicate spots that 

 generally form a wreath at the broad end. 



The LONG-TAILED MANAKINS {Chiroxiphid) constitute a prominent group of the family 

 under consideration, and are recognisable by the prolongation of the centre tail-feathers, this 

 peculiarity being particularly observable in the male. 



THE LONG-TAILED MANAKIN. 



The Long-tailed Manakin (Pipra-Chiroxiphia-caiidata) has a sky-blue body, with black wings, 

 throat, and tail, only the two centre feathers of the latter being blue ; the brow and top of the head 

 are red. The females and young are of an uniform greenish hue, shaded with brown upon the quills 

 and the extremities of the tail-feathers. Both sexes have dark brown eyes, light reddish brown beaks 

 with very pale margins, and brownish flesh-red feet. The male is about six inches long and ten 

 broad ; his wing measures two inches and five-sixths, and his tail two and a half inches. The female 

 is only a few lines smaller than her mate. 



The Prince von Wied tells us that he met with this beautiful species very frequently during his 

 travels through Bahia, and generally found it associated in small flocks, which took refuge amid the 

 dense foliage of the trees at the first alarm of danger. We learn from the same author that during the 

 breeding season they live in pairs, and usually build in the fork of a branch, at no very considerable 

 height from the ground. The nest is small, carelessly formed of twigs, blades of grass, wool, and 

 moss, woven roughly together, and generally contains two large eggs, with a greyish yellow shell, 

 marked with indistinct spots, and a somewhat more clearly defined wreath at the broad end. The 

 call-note of the bird is a loud, clear, piping tone. According to Burmeister, the Long-tailed Manakin 

 is never seen near the settlements of the colonists. 



THE THE. 



The Tije {Pipra-Chiroxiphia-parcola) is the species we have selected to represent a group 

 possessing tails that are quite straight at the extremity. The body of the male is principally of a coal- 

 black, the back alone being sky-blue, whilst the head is adorned with a magnificent biood-red 

 vol. n. — 63 



