THE SEARCHERS. 11^ 



THE RAIN BIRD. 



The Rain Bird {Saurothera vetidd) is remarkable for the very peculiar formation of its long, thin 

 beak, which is almost straight, compressed at its edges, and hooked at its tip. The tarsi are short 

 and slender, the toes long and meagre ; the wings, in which the fourth, fifth, and sixth quills are the 

 lono'est, are of moderate size ; and the long, graduated tail is composed of ten rounded feathers. The 

 plumage upon the entire mantle is dark grey, and the under side reddish yellow, shading into light grey 

 on the breast, and into yellowish grey on the lower part of the belly. The ten exterior quills are light 

 bro-vvnish red, tipped with greenish brown ; the centre tail-feathers are grey, shaded with green; while 

 those on each side are blackish bro^vn, tipped witli white. The eye is nut-brown, and the circle by 

 which it is surrounded light scarlet ; the beak is blackish, and foot blueish black. The length of this 

 bird is fifteen inches and a half, and its breadth fourteen inches. The wng measures four inches and 

 a half, and its tail six inches and a quarter. 



We are informed by Mr. Gosse that " the Rain Bird — sometimes called the ' Tom Fool,' from 

 its silly habit of gratifying its ciuriosity instead of securing its safety — is little seen except where the 

 woods are high ; but it ig widely scattered in mountain as well as in lowland. This species is seldom 

 seen to fly, except from tree to tree, more usually leaping in a hurried manner along the branches, or 

 proceeding up the perpendicular bole by short jumps, pausing from time to time to gaze at any 

 intruder, and if driven away flying only a few yards and again peeping as before. AVhen it flies, it 

 generally glides nearly in a straight line, without flapping the wings. It often sits on a branch in a 

 rernarkable posture ; the head lower than the feet, and the long tail hanging nearly perpendicularly down. 

 When sitting it now and then utters a loud and harsh cackle, unvarying in note, but increasing in the 

 rapidity of its emission. Sometimes this sound is produced during its short flight. All the time of 

 this effusion the beak is held wide open. It may be imitated by repeating the syllables ' ticky, ticky, 

 ticky,' as fast as they can be uttered. The Rain Bird is frequently seen on the ground in morasses and 

 woods, when it proceeds by a succession of bounds, the long tail held somewhat high, and the head 

 low ; the tail is jerked forward by the impulse of each pause of motion, and the whole action is like 

 that of the Crotophaga. If held it becomes very fierce, trying \r\A\ widely-opened beak and expanded 

 tail, to bite, and uttering angry screams. A male that had been knocked down with a stone, on 

 being put into a cage, was outrageous when one's hand was placed near the wires ; darting from side 

 to side, now and then snapping at the hand, and snarling all the while, in the tone of an angry puppy. 

 This bird is extremely retentive of life. Sometimes, when a wounded one has come into my posses- 

 sion, I have been distressed at the vain efforts I have made to deprive it of life. In various 

 individuals that I have opened, I found large caterpillars, locusts, phasmata, spiders, phrj'ni-spiders, 

 and, upon one occasion, a whole mouse. Robinson found in one a large green anolis, six inches 

 long, coiled up in a spiral manner, the head being in the centre. He states that it bruises the heads 

 of lizards, and then swallows them head forernost. Mr. Hill kept a Rain Bird for several weeks. It 

 seized cockroaches and other insects when put into its box, and ate fresh meat if chopped small. 

 I have been able to ascertain nothing of the nest, except what the followng note may afford : — 

 A young friend informs me that he once observed a Rain Bird carrying ' trash ' into the hollow or fork 

 of the divergent limbs of a logwood-tree. Some little while after, passing that way, he observed a 

 nest-like accumulation of similar substances ; but as it was beyond reach, he took a long stick to 

 poke it out. In doing so, he pushed out an egg, which was white, with many spots. 'When pairing,' 

 observes Mr. Hill, ' the male bird attracts the female by gracefully displaying his feathers. The 

 long, graduated tail is expanded, the short wings are spread, and the whole plumage is in motion, as 

 the male endeavours, by playful dalliance, to win his mate's attention.' " 



