544 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



situations, placing its nest on branches, in the forks of trees, on posts, rocks, or house-tops. 

 Another species, know n to the Spaniards as the Casarita, or LlTTLE HOUSE-BUILDER, builds its 

 nest at the bottom of a narrow cylindrical hole, which is said to extend horizontally under- 

 ground for nearl)- six feet. (_)thcr species build nests of sticks and twigs or of grass, which 

 are di\-ided into chambers after the fashion of the mud nest of the oven-bird, the inner 

 chamber being lined with wool and feathers. 



The x'ariation in the form, habits, and coloration of these birds is very great, some 

 recalling the Woodpeckers and Tree-creepers, others the Titmice. 



The famil)' of the TYRANT Fly-CATCIIERS, though numbering some 400 species, is less 

 interesting, or rather contains fewer peculiar forms, than the Manakin Family. The tyrant 

 fly-catchers are American birds, and represent the fl)'-catchcrs of the Old World. One of the 

 best known is the KlXG-lURD, which is renowned rather for its pugnacious disposition than for 

 beauty of plumage. 



The Crested Tyrant-bird has a curious habit of lining its nest with the cast-off skins of 



snakes, a habit which has caused a great 

 deal of discomfort both to juvenile as well 

 as adult egg-collectors, ^\'ho, recognising 

 the skin by the touch, have hurriedh' with- 

 drawn the hand, lest the owner of the 

 cast-off coat should be in the vicinity. 



All the t3'rant-birds are active and 

 restless in their habits, and frequent marshy 

 districts, sitting alone, perched on the dead 

 branches of trees or bushes, whence they 

 dart forth like the Old World fly-catchers 

 on their prey. Some species, however, 

 frequent bare plains ; others, also ground- 

 dwellers, associate occasionally in flocks. 



Though the prey, which consists 



chiefly of insects, is, as a rule, captured 



on the wing, it is not invariably so. One 



species, for example, pounces down on 



crawling beetles, grasps them in its claws, 



and eats them on the ground. Some other 



species eat mice, young birds, snakes, frogs, 



fishes, spiders, and worms, the larger 



victims being beaten on a branch to kill them. One or two species will eat seeds and berries. 



The nest is often domed, and skilfully felted with moss, lichens, and spider-webs. 



The Broad-biles are the sole representatives of the final sub-division of the Perching- 



birds. After the brilliant coloration, the next most striking feature is the great breadth of 



the bill. Their range is very limited, extending from the lower spurs of the Himalaya, 



through Burma and Siam, to Sumatra, Borneo, and Java. They seek the seclusion of forests 



in the neighbourhood of water, exhibiting great partiality for the banks of rivers and lakes, 



and feeding on worms and insects, many of the latter being captured on the wing. 



The nest of the broad-bill is a large and not very neat structure, oval in shape, with an 

 entrance near the top, which is often protected with an overhanging roof. It is generally 

 suspended from a low branch or plants near the water, and made of twigs, roots, and leaves, 

 and lined with finer materials, h'roni three to five e'l-o-s are laid. 



With these birds, probably the most primitive of the Perching-birds, this section ends. 

 Many forms have inevitably been crowded out, whilst others have been but briefly noticed; 

 nevertheless, all the really important groups have been more or less completely described, and 

 in the majoi'ily of cases well illustrated. 



rhclo b) A. S. RudUni &= 4'onj 



COCK-OF-THE-ROCK 



The cock-of-the-rock is a South jimaican bird, of \T^orgeou% coloration 



