

26 



ZOOLOGICAL 



PARADISEIDiE (Birds of Paradise ; 70 Species). Plate 10, Map ii. 

 The Birds of Paradise, so well known for their gorgeous and striking 

 plumage, are confined to the Papuan Islands and the extreme eastern portion 

 of Australia. Only four species are known from the latter country, and 

 five from the Moluccas. All the rest are natives of New Guinea and the 

 small islands adjacent. These beautiful birds inhabit chiefly thickly-wooded 

 hills and ravines, and many of them have a very restricted range. 



PTILONORHYNCHID^; (Bower-Birds ; 36 Species). Plate 10, Map ii. 

 The Bower-Birds, so named from their interesting habit of constructing 

 bowers or " play-houses," which they decorate with shells, bones, flowers and 

 other objects, are confined to Australia and New Guinea, with a single 

 species in the neighbouring Aru Islands. New Guinea possesses 26 species, 

 while the Australian forms are mostly restricted to the north and east. One 

 of the most familiar is the Satin Bower-Bird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) 

 which inhabits the coast region of Queensland and New South Wales and is 

 well-known to the natives for its habit of carrying off bright and attractive 

 objects with which to adorn its home. The Cat-Birds (genus Muroedus) are 

 exceptional members of the family, inasmuch as they do not build bowers, 

 but merely clear a space of ground in which the males assemble for sport. 



STURNID^ (Starlings ; 60 Species). Plate 10, Map ii. 



This interesting Old World family apparently has its headquarters in 

 the Oriental Region, for no less than 44 species find either their permanent 

 home there or occur within the area in winter. A dozen genera are 

 differentiated, the typical one (Shirnus) containing three out of the four 

 European representatives of the family, and including the common British 

 Starling (S. vulgaris) found throughout our islands. Pastor contains a 

 single species, the Rose-coloured Pastor (P. roseus), which is a native of 

 S.E. Europe and Central Asia, wintering in India and occasionally wandering 

 as far west as Britain. The genera Sturnopastor, Graculipica, Acridotheres, 

 and JEihiopsar are purely Oriental in their distribution, while the only 

 species found in the Ethiopian Region is the African Wattled Starling 

 (Oreatophora carunculata). 



EULABETID-ffi (Grackles and Glossy Starlings ; 145 Species). 

 Plate 10, Map ii. 



The members of this family differ from the true Starlings, to which they 

 are closely allied, by their possessing the so-called rictal bristles, by their 

 laying spotted eggs, and by their mainly arboreal habits. They are charac- 

 teristic of the Ethiopian and Oriental Regions, but one species occurs in 

 Palestine and the Sinaitic Peninsula. About 40 genera are recognised. 

 The Ethiopian Region is the richest in species, containing nearly half the 

 known members of the family ; while the Grackles (genus Eulabes) are 11 in 

 number, and range from Northern India to Flores and the Philippine 

 Islands. 



EURYCEROTID^l (Helmet-Bird ; 1 Species). Plate 10, Map ii. 



Since Plate 10 was printed the systematic position and scientific name of 

 this family have been changed. It is therefore dealt with under its new 

 name of Aerocharidse (q.v.) in its more correct position. 



DICRURID.E (Drongos ; 63 Species). Plate 10, Map ii. 



The Drongos, or King-Crows as they are sometimes called, are a family 

 of typically black birds arranged in a dozen different genera and charac- 

 teristic of the tropical regions of the Old World. About half the species 

 are found in the Malay Archipelago, only one in Australia, and eight in 

 Africa. They inhabit forest as well as open country and are of active 

 habits, strong flight, pugnacious disposition, and insectivorous. 



ORIOLID^ (Orioles ; 70 Species). Plate 10, Map iii. 



Although so many species are known, only three genera of Orioles are 

 distinguished. These birds, in which brilliant yellow is a characteristic 

 feature of their plumage, especially of the males, are widely distributed, but 

 confined to the Old World. Only five species occur in Australia, and 15 in 

 Africa, all the latter belonging to the typical genus Oriolus. Only one, the 

 Golden Oriole (0. galbula), occurs in Europe, where it is a summer visitor, 

 and this has bred occasionally in England. 



ICTERID.E (Cassiques, Troupials and Hangnests ; 186 Species). 

 Plate 10, Map iii. 



This large assemblage of birds, although sometimes called "American 

 Orioles," may be more correctly regarded as the New World representatives 

 of the Starlings (family Sturnidse). No fewer than 33 genera have been 

 differentiated, but many of these contain only a single species. Five sub- 

 families are recognised, founded upon the nature of the bill. The great 

 majority of the species are natives of Central and South America, but the 

 best known, bearing the name of the Baltimore Oriole (Icterus baltimore) and a 

 few others, range collectively throughout the greater part of the United States 

 and Canada. The Cassiques, forming a sub-family, are principally South 

 American, as are also the parasitic Cow-Birds (Molothrus). Many of the 

 members of this family construct wonderful pensile nests, hence one of their 

 popular names. 



PLOCEID.E (Weaver-Birds ; 488 Species). Plate 10, Map iii. 



These interesting birds, closely resembling the Finches (Fringillidse) in 



external appearance, are widely distributed in the Old World, but especially 



•characteristic of the Ethiopian Region, where about two-thirds of the species 



find their home. Their popular name alludes to the clever manner in which 



they construct their nests, which are in general shaped something like a 

 chemist's retort, although great variety of form is met with. The birds 

 themselves are often strikingly coloured, possess social habits, and are of a 

 confiding disposition. No fewer than 75 genera have been founded for the 

 reception of this vast assemblage of forms, and these are grouped into two 

 sub-families, namely, the Ploceinse, which includes the typical Weaver -Birds 

 and the Viduinse, comprising the so-called Whydah or Widow-Birds, the 

 Waxbills, and their allies. With the exception of two genera (Ploceus and 

 Plocella), containing together seven species, all the members of the Ploceinse 

 are purely Ethiopian. The Viduinse have a much wider distribution. 



TANAGRID-E (Tanagers ; 824 Species). Plate 10, Map iii. 



The Tanagers are brilliantly coloured Finch-like birds, confined entirely 

 to the New World, and particularly characteristic of the great forests 

 between the tropics. Only five species, indeed, occur without this region, 

 and these all belong to the genus Pyranga. They pass the winter in 

 Tropical America and migrate in summer as far north as Canada and Nova 

 Scotia, so that even these widely-wandering species really belong to the 

 Neotropical fauna. The genera of this family are no less than 69 in number. 

 The birds are described as " bold, lively, and restless," feeding on fruits 

 insects, and a variety of small invertebrate animals, such as molluscs 

 and worms. 



CCEREBIDiE (Honey-Creepers or Quit-quits ; 103 Species). 

 Plate 10, Map iv. 



These Tit- and Creeper-like little birds are confined to the Neotropical 

 Region, with the exception of a single species which ranges into Florida. 

 Eleven genera have been described, the typical one (Ccereba) containing 23 

 species. Certhidea, a genus comprising nine species peculiar to the Galapagos 

 Islands, is included here, but since our Map was prepared it has been shown 

 by a study of its anatomy to belong more properly to the family 

 Mniotiltidse. 



FRINGILLIDSE (Finches ; 700 Species). Plate 10, Map iv. 



This important and vast assemblage has an extremely wide distribution, 

 occurring throughout the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa and America. 

 As yet they are unrecorded from the Australian Region, with the exception 

 of three birds, of doubtful affinity, occurring in the Sandwich Islands, and 

 which perhaps ought to be included in the Drepanididse, a family entirely 

 peculiar to those islands. No fewer than 80 genera are recognised, many of 

 which have a very restricted range. Thus Geospiza, with 27 species, and 

 Camarhynchus with 10, are peculiar to the Galapagos Islands, while 

 Chaunoproctus, with a single species, is confined to the Bonin Islands. 

 Finches are characteristic of the Palrearctic Region, and Britain possesses 

 18 species, of which 10 are resident. Many well-known birds belong to this 

 family, but it is impossible to do more in this place than give their names. 

 Greenfinches, Hawfinches, Chaffinches, Siskins, Linnets, Redpolls, Sparrows, 

 Serin Finches, Grosbeaks, Bullfinches, Crossbills, and a host of others, are 

 all more or less familiar examples. 



EMBERIZLTLE (Buntings ; 400 Species). Plate 10, Map iv. 



The Emberizidse are so closely related to the Fringillidse or Finches that 

 they are often united with them to form one vast family. Indeed it is 

 sometimes a difficult matter to say to which particular group certain species 

 should be referred. As a rule Buntings may be distinguished by a 

 peculiarity in the bill, namely, the presence of a gap or angle between the 

 tip and the gape. There is generally, too, a hard bony knob on the palate. 

 The distribution of Buntings closely agrees with that of Finches, but they 

 range much further north. About 60 genera are recognised, the typical one 

 (Emberiza) containing at least 50 species. Eleven species are on the British 

 list, the commonest being the well-known Yellow Bunting or Yellow 

 Hammer (E. citrinella). Of much interest is the Snow Bunting (Plectro- 

 phenax nivalis), an Arctic species and the most boreal of all birds, which 

 migrates south in winter, and has recently been proved to breed sparingly 

 on the highest mountains in Scotland. Nesospiza is also an interesting 

 genus, containing three species confined to the remote islands of Tristan da 

 Cunha and Gough Island. 



ALAUDID^G (Larks ; 230 Species). Plate 10, Map iv. 



Larks are specially characteristic of the Palaearctic, Ethiopian, and 

 Oriental Regions, but about a score species are found in the New World, 

 chiefly North America. All the latter are members of the genus Otocorys, 

 and are known as Horned Larks. Only some half-dozen forms occur in the 

 Australian Region, and belong to the genus Mirafra (Bush-Larks), while 

 Madagascar possesses one species which also belongs to this genus. Six 

 species are on the British list, but only one, the Skylark (Alauda arvensis) 

 is a common resident. The Shore-lark (Otocorys alpestris) is a winter 

 visitant, while the rest are only of very local or irregular occurrence. 

 Africa seems to be the country best adapted for the Lark family, and many 

 of these birds are specially adapted to dwell in desert regions. 



MOTACILLID^I (Wagtails and Pipits ; 101 Species). Plate 10, Map v. 



The members of this family may be readily separated into two groups, 

 viz., the Wagtails (Motacillinse) and the Pipits (Anthinse) and their dis- 

 tribution is shown separately on our Map. The former comprise about 40 

 species, all belonging to the typical genus Motacilla. These are widely 

 distributed over and characteristic of the Old World, although practically 

 absent from the Australian Region. Five species breed in Britain, but two 

 of them only rarely. 



