2 cassell's book of birds. 



conical, or weak and of a curved form ; the feet are short, and the long toes either arranged in pairs 

 or placed together in the usual manner, and armed with long, hooked, and sharp claws. The 

 moderate-sized wing, which is usually rounded at its extremity, and occasionally of great breadth, is 

 never slender or pointed ; the formation of the tail is very various. Anything like a general 

 description of the plumage possessed by the different groups of this order would be impossible ; some, 

 glittering with gay and even resplendent colours, dart through the air like living gems, whilst others 

 are clad in such dull and sombre livery as to be scarcely distinguishable from the earth or trees upon 

 which they are formed to live. The various representatives of the Scansor may be said to occupy 

 almost every region of our earth ; some groups are migratory, and leave their native lands annually 

 with the utmost regularity, whilst others remain throughout the entire year within a certain limited 

 district. Woods and forests are the localities principally occupied by these birds, though they are by 

 no means incapable of ascending rocks, or seeking for their food upon the ground, over the surface of 

 which they run with considerable facility. Their flight is good, but it is upon the trees alone that the 

 Scansor exhibit the full beauty and ease of their movements. All the members of this order 

 consume insects, and many devour fruit, berries, seeds, honey, and the pollen of plants. As regards 

 their powers of song they are by no means gifted ; indeed, the most highly endowed amongst them 

 rarely rise above the utterance of a few pleasing notes during the breeding season. The construction 

 of the nests of the Scansor varies so considerably that we shall confine ourselves to speaking of them 

 in their appropriate places. 



It is usual among systematic writers to associate many of the birds which we have included in 

 the present order as slender-billed forms of one or other of the preceding divisions, more especially 

 those usually denominated Tenuirostres, and perhaps we shall be harshly judged for our departure 

 from the usual custom ; be that as it may, the resemblance between some of the Climbing Birds and 

 some Singing Birds is undeniable, and it is upon that ground that we treat of them in this place. 



The TENUIROSTRAL species are distinguishable from all others by the slendemess of their 

 beak, which is usually more or less curved, and by the feebleness of their feet, the toes of which are 

 not arranged in pairs. They may be grouped as follows : — 



The FLOWER BIRDS {Certhiola) constitute a small group of South American species, 

 remarkable for the great beauty of their plumage. All possess a slender body, moderate-sized wing, 

 containing nine primaries (of which the second, third, and fourth are the longest), and a somewhat 

 soft-feathered tail, of medium length. The beak is also of moderate size, much arched at its base, 

 and curved slightly inwards at its margins. The tongue is long, divided, and thread-like at its tip, 

 but not protrusible; the foot is short and powerful. The sexes are readily distinguishable by the 

 diversity of their coloration, the plumage of the male being blue, and that of the female usually green. 

 All the members of this group closely resemble our singing birds in their habits and mode of life ; 

 they subsist upon insects, seeds, corn, and berries, in pursuit of which they hop from branch to 

 branch, with ever restless activity. According to the Prince von Wied, they regard fruit of various 

 kinds, particularly oranges, with especial favour, and, when these are ripe, constantly venture into 

 the gardens, even close to dwelling-houses, with all the fearlessness of the Domestic Sparrow ; at 

 other seasons they prefer to keep within the shelter of well-wooded thickets. Their song, we 

 believe, consists of but a single note. 



The BLUE BIRDS {Carcba) are at once recognisable by their long, thin beak, which is 

 compressed at its sides, and slightly notched near its very sharp tip ; the wing is long and pointed, its 



