542 



The Living Animals of the World 



Fluito bii 1). U iomy'] [,Vr//.oi' 



VICTORIAN LYEE-BIUD. 



Lyre-bir(3f<, which !ire aIs.o kno^n to the colonists as " J'licasaiits," are 

 ;;ie.Lt niiniics. 



all of which are confined to South America. Thev 

 must be sought for, as a rule, in the forests or 

 thick undergrowth of marshy places. 



The Manakin Family contains several species 

 of considerable interest, on account of the peculiar 

 modifications which certain of the quill-feathers 

 of the males have undergone. In some species 

 what are known as the secondary quill-feathers 

 are peculiarly twisted, and have the shafts much 

 thickened. With these modified feathers the 

 birds are enabled, probably by ela2)ping the 

 wings and bringing the thickened leathers 

 violently together, to make a sharp sound, which 

 has lieen likened to the crack of a whip. Other 

 species have the quill-feathers of the hand — tlie 

 primaries, as they are called — similarly thickened, 

 and they probably are also used to produce 

 sounds. 



One s[iecies is known as the Bailador, or 

 Dancer, on account of a very remarkable habit 

 which the males have of dancing. Two males, 

 choosing some secluded spot, select a bare twig, 



The nesting habits of the Chatterers 

 vary greatly,~some building nests of mud 

 and twigs, which they fasten on projections 

 of rock in damp caves ; others sim[)ly lining 

 holes in trees with dry grass. Some Imild 

 a cup-shaj)ed nest of lichens, others a simple 

 platform of sticks, whilst some of the Thick- 

 iiiLLED Chatterers hang large nests of 

 leaves, plant-stalks, and wool from low 

 branches, the entrance to the nest being- 

 from a hole in the sitle. The eggs vary 

 in number among the different species 

 from two to four, and in colour may be 

 white, chocolate, pale .salmon-coloured, or 

 greenish blue, and are for the most part 

 spotted. 



Closely allied to the Coek.s-of-the-rock 

 are the IMaxakins. for the most part small 

 and thick-set liirds, and in many instances 

 brilliantly coloured — at least in the case of 

 the males. Some sevent}^ species are known. 



Tholo l,y W. Siieitlc-Kcnt, F.Z.S.] [M,l/(J,;l;,fi 



TAIL OP AUSTRALIAN LYHE-BIRD. 

 'J'bis oiiuiniental tail is woin only by the male. 



