244 4 THEORY OF BIRDS’ NESTS. 
having a red rump, or being white spotted. They 
differ from most others of the family in building 
domed nests. 
20. Certhiola. In these pretty little American 
creepers the sexes are alike, and they build a domed 
nest. 
21. Mynahs (Sturnide). These showy Eastern star- 
lings have the sexes exactly alike. They build in holes 
of trees. 
22. Calornis (Sturnide). These brilliant metallic 
starlings have no sexual differences. They build a 
pensile covered nest. 
23. Hangnests (Icteride). The red or yellow and 
black plumage of most of these birds is very conspi- 
cuous, and is exactly alike in both sexes. They are 
celebrated for their fine purse-shaped pensile nests. 
It will be seen that this list comprehends six im- 
portant families of Fissirostres, four of Scansores, the 
Psittaci, and several genera, with three entire families 
of Passeres, comprising about twelve hundred species, 
or about’ one-seventh of all known birds. 
The cases in which, whenever the male is gaily 
coloured, the female is much less gay or quite incon- 
spicuous, are exceedingly numerous, comprising, in 
fact, almost all the bright-coloured Passeres, except 
those enumerated in the preceding class. The follow- 
ing are the most remarkable :— 
1. Chatterers (Cotingide). These comprise some of 
the most gorgeous birds in the world, vivid blues, 
