THE INTERESTING MOT MOTS. 



There are seven genera of the Mot 

 Mots and seventeen species. All of 

 these birds have long tails, the central 

 feathers of which are longer than the 

 others. They are closely related to the 

 kingfishers and the bee-eaters of the 

 Old World and are somewhat similar 

 to the latter in external appearance. 

 The Mot Mots are found only in Mex- 

 ico, Central America and South Amer- 

 ica. Their nests are built in the ground, 

 usually in a bank bordering a stream. 

 Mr. A. K. Cherrie gives the following 

 description of the nest of one of the 

 species Momotus lessoni: 'The en- 

 trance tunnel extends back horizontally 

 sometimes for a distance of six feet. 

 At about half its length there is a sharp 

 bend upwards for some six inches, then 

 the course is again horizontal as far as 

 the chamber occupied by the nest. The 

 nest is twelve or fourteen inches in 

 diameter, being round, and about six 

 inches high, with a level floor and ceil- 

 ing. A few rather coarse dry twigs are 

 strewn over the flower." The nest is also 

 said to be "one of the dirtiest, most 

 foul-smelling places that can be imag- 

 ined." 



The Mot Mots are beautiful birds and 

 it seems strange that they should in- 

 stinctively suppose that their beauty 

 would be increased by trimming their 

 tails. This they d'o, however, using 

 their bills, the edges of which are ser- 

 rated, in lieu of scissors. As soon as 

 its tail is fully grown, it begins about 

 an inch from the extremity of the two 

 elongated central feathers and cuts away 

 the web on both sides of the shaft, mak- 

 ing a gap about an inch or more in 

 length. Both male and female wear 

 their tails in this manner, which gives 

 them a remarkable appearance among 

 all other birds. The birds will perform 

 this operation when in captivity as well 

 as when free. Mr. Richard Lydekker 



quotes the following interesting ac- 

 count of an observer: "In one instance 

 the two middle tail -feathers had not 

 grown symmetrically, one being more 

 developed than the other. The bird 

 was evidently puzzled to find the cen- 

 tral feather, which its instinct warned 

 it to nibble, and it began operations on 

 several of the other feathers, until in 

 time the middle one grew out beyond 

 the others, and showed which was the 

 proper one to snip." 



The Mot Mots are shy birds and 

 shun the society of man. They fre-. 

 quent forests and there feed upon the 

 insects and berries to be found in the 

 underbrush. It is seldom that they rise 

 to any great height among the trees. 

 While not easily observed, its calls, 

 which are said to resemble the word 

 "houton," may be heard at quite long 

 distances. When its notes are uttered, 

 its tail is either jerked from side to side 

 or up and down with every articulation. 



Mr. Osbert Salvin tells this curious 

 anecdote of the Mot Mot: "Some years 

 ago the Zoological Society possessed a 

 specimen which lived in one of the 

 large cages of the parrot house by 

 itself. I have a very distinct recollec- 

 tion of the bird, for I used every time I 

 saw it to cheer it up a bit by whistling 

 such of its notes as I had picked up in 

 the forests of America. Tlie bird al- 

 ways seemed to appreciate this atten- 

 tion, for although it never replied, it 

 became at once animated, hopped about 

 the cage, and swung its tail from side 

 to side like the pendulum of a clock. 

 For a long time its tail had perfect 

 spatules, but toward the end of its life 

 I noticed that the median feathers were 

 no longer trimmed with such precision, 

 and on looking at its beak I noticed 

 that from some cause or other it did 

 not close properly, gaped slightly at the 

 tip, and had thus become unfitted for 

 removing the vanes of the feathers." 



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