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, known to the Spaniards as the Casarita, or Little House-buildeb, builds its 

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

 oTound for nearly six feet. Other species build nests of sticks and twigs or of grass, which 

 are divided into chambers after the fashion of the mud nest of the oven-bird, the inner 

 chamber being lined with wool and feathers. 



The variation in the form, habits, and coloration of these birds is very great, some 

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



The family of the Tyrant P"ly-Catchers, 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 fly-catchers of the Old World. One of the 

 best known is the King-bird, 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, who, recognising 

 the skin by the touch, have hurriedly with- 

 drawn the hand, lest the owner of the 

 cast-uff coat should be in the vicinity. 



All the tyrant-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, sj^iders, 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-bills 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 i)artiality 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. From three to five es£rs are laid. 



With these birds, 2)robably tlie most primitive of the Perching-birds, this section ends. 

 Many iorms ha\e 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 majority of cases well illustrated. 



g#»' 



Pholo ha A. S. RvMaiid .(■ Sons. 



COCK-OF-THE-ROCK. 

 The cock-of-the-rock is u South American bird, uE gorgeous coloration. 



