CONIROSTRES. 291 



them, the celebrated Umbrella bird, Cephalopterus ornatus, has 

 the most gorgeous crest of any known bird, and of which Wallace 

 has given a good account from life. A second species has been 

 lately made known to science. Another remarkable type is the 

 Arapunga, or Bell-bird of Guiana, of a pure white colour, and hav- 

 ing a clear bell-like note, capable of being heard at a great distance. 



These Fruit-crows, as they are sometimes called, are quite 

 arboreal, and feed chiefly on fruit, occasionally, it is said, on insects. 

 They appear to have distant affinities for some of the Crows and 

 Starlings. 



Perhaps the Vireonince should enter this family rather than the 

 Fly-catchers, with which they are usually associated. 



Tribe Conirostres. 



Bill usually entire at the tip, thick, more or less conic, with the 

 lower mandible deeper than in most of the preceding tribe ; wings 

 more generally lengthened ; tail usually moderate or short, even or 

 emarginate, rounded in a few ; feet fitted for walking on the 

 ground, as well as for perching. 



The Conirostral birds, as a general rule, can be readily distin- 

 guished from the birds of the last tribe by their comparatively 

 thick bill, with the lower mandible of more equal proportions with 

 the upper (i. e. conic), than in most of the Dentirostres, rarely 

 notched at the tip, or bent down over the lower mandible. They 

 are mostly ground-feeders, and while some may be said to be 

 omnivorous, others feed almost exclusively on grain. Their nidi- 

 fication is varied, most building in trees, a few on rocks or 

 buildings, some in holes in banks, or of trees; one family on the 

 ground. The majority of birds composing this tribe are of plain, 

 though, in some cases, pleasing plumage, one family alone being 

 adorned with rich and gaudy colours. They are usually of great 

 intelligence ; many are fine songsters, and our most familiar birds 

 belong to this tribe. Their anatomy is similar to that of the 

 Dentirostres ; but the stomach or gizzard of many is thick and 

 more muscular, and many of this tribe are in the habit of constantly 

 swallowing small pieces of stone or gravel to assist them in 

 triturating the hard grains on which they feed. 



