ZOOLOGICAL 



29 



PHYTOTOMID.E (Plant-Cutters ; 4 Species). Plate 12, Map iii. 



This family consists only of four Finch-like birds inhabiting the 

 temperate portion of South America. They have powerful serrated, Finch- 

 like bills, which they use in hewing down plants apparently without any 

 special object, and often causing much damage to gardens and plantations. 

 Phytotoma vara, a native of Chili, is the best-known species. 



COTINGID.E (Chatterers ; 150 Species). Plate 12, Map iii. 



This is a large, interesting, and varied family, including some of the 

 most gorgeously-coloured of South American birds. They are essentially 

 inhabitants of Tropical America, although one species ranges as far north as 

 Southern Arizona, and others occur in the southernmost parts of Brazil and 

 Uruguay. Platypsaris niger, confined to the island of Jamaica, is the only 

 member of the family occurring in the "West Indies. Many remarkable 

 creatures belong to the Cotingidse. The singular Umbrella-Bird of the 

 Upper Amazons (Cephalopterus ornatus) and the musically-voiced Bell-Birds 

 {Ghasmorhynchus) are the best known, and familiar to the traveller in the 

 great tropical forests of the New World. 



PIPRID^I (Manakins ; 95 Species). Plate 12, Map iv. 



These interesting little birds are essentially forest dwellers, and are con- 

 fined to the Neotropical Region. Nineteen genera are recognised, which 

 are ranged in two sub-families. They are absent from the "West Indies, and 

 only half a dozen species occur in Central America. The great majority 

 of these birds are brilliantly-coloured, and in habits they resemble Titmice, 

 flitting about the branches of trees and feeding on insects and fruit of 

 all sorts. 



OXYRHAMPHID^I (Oxyrhamphus ; 3 Species). Plate 12, Map v. 



The three species forming this family, placed in a single genus, are allied 

 to the Tyrannidss, and inhabit South-eastern Brazil, Central America (from 

 Costa Rica to Panama), and British Guiana, respectively. No forms have 

 yet been found inhabiting the intermediate regions. 



TYRANNID^l (Tyrant Flycatchers; 617 Species). Plate 12, Map v. 



These birds, sometimes called Tyrant-Birds, are a vast assemblage of 

 mostly small creatures found almost throughout the New World. But 

 although so wide-ranging as a whole, their metropolis appears to lie in the 

 tropical portion of South America, where the majority of the species are 

 found. About 40 species occur in North America, ranging as far north as 

 Alaska, 33 are found in the West Indies, three are peculiar to the Galapagos 

 Islands, one occurs in the Falkland Islands, and three in Tierra del Fuego. 

 Some are d wellers in the dense forest regions, while others are adapted for 

 a terrestrial life. The King-bird (Tyrannus tyrannus) is well-known in the 



United States for its boldness in defending its nest even from the attacks of 



birds of prey. 



DENDROCOLAPTIDiE (Wood-Hewers or American Creepers ; 458 Species). 



Plate 12, Map vi. 



This purely Neotropical family contains a vast and somewhat hetero- 

 geneous assemblage of insectivorous birds, somewhat sombre in coloration 

 and of diverse habits. Over 50 genera are distinguished, which are grouped 

 into seven sub-families. By far the greatest number of species occur in the 

 Brazilian Sub-region, while they are entirely absent from the West Indies. 

 About 50 species find their home in Central America, two in the Falkland 

 Islands, and one in Juan Fernandez. Perhaps the most interesting birds of 

 this family are the so-called " Oven-birds" (Furnarius), of which 14 species 

 are described. These interesting creatures build a nest of mud, mixed with 

 horsehair or fibrous roots, so wonderfully constructed as to be almost un- 

 breakable. It possesses an inner chamber, access to which is through a long 

 curved passage. 



CONOPOPHAGIDJE (Conopophaga and Corythopis ; 19 Species). 

 Plate 12, Map vi. 



This is a small Neotropical group of curious birds with a prevailing 

 brown coloration, large heads, and a peculiar type of sternum or breast- 

 bone. Only two genera are recognised, whose names are given above. 



FORMICARIIRSl (Ant-Birds or Ant-Thrushes; 408 Species). 

 Plate 12, Map vii. 



A purely Neotropical family, containing 38 genera. Like the Dendro- 

 colaptidse and the Conopophagidss, their metropolis is in the Brazilian Sub- 

 region, and they are, too, entirely unrepresented in the West Indies. They 

 are lovers of the forest and are of a shy and retiring disposition. Their 

 names both scientific and popular, bear allusion to their at one time reputed 

 fondness for ants, but it is now believed that they feed on the swarms of 

 insects which the foraging ants drive before them, and not on the ants 

 themselves. 



PTEROPTOCHIDJE (Tapacolas ; 31 Species). Plate 12, Map viii. 



This is a small group of Wren-like birds, divided into eight genera, and 

 inhabiting the western and southern portions of South America. One 

 species occurs in the Falkland Islands, and one is peculiar to Costa Rica. 

 About half the species are found in Chili, the Argentine Republic and 

 Patagonia. They are remarkable for their large and robust feet, and for 

 the elevated position in which they carry their tails. 



ORDER MENURIF0RMES (3 Species). 



MENURID^E (Lyre-Birds ; 3 Species). Plate 12, Map viii. 



These remarkable birds, which owe their popular name to the beautiful 

 shape of their tails, are restricted to the south-eastern portion of Australia. 

 They may be regarded as an aberrant group of the great Order Passeriformes, 

 or may be placed in an Order to themselves, under the name of Menuriformes. 

 They have a remarkable general resemblance to a Game- Bird, but in structure 

 are quite distinct. Of a shy disposition, they live in brush country, and 

 feed on insects and small molluscs. All the known species belong to a 

 single genus (Menura). 



ORDER EURYLEMIFORMES (16 Species). 



EURYL^MID-S (Broad-Bills ; 16 Species). Plate 12, Map viii. 



The Broad-Bills, so-called from the great and unusual breadth of the 

 beak, are essentially an Oriental group, ranging from the Eastern Himalayas 

 to Java, Borneo and the Philippines. Seven genera are distinguished, 

 which are placed in two sub-families. Bright colours adorn most of the 

 species, which are essentially dwellers in the forests, where they search for 

 fruit and insects. It is supposed that they are the descendants of a much 

 larger and more wide-ranging group. 



ORDER PICIF0RMES (508 Species). 



GALBULID^l (Jacamars ; 22 Species). Plate 13, Map i. 



This is a purely Neotropical family of chiefly brilliantly metallic- 

 plumaged birds, which are found on the outskirts of forests and in the 

 vicinity of water. All are insectivorous. Six genera are described, one 

 of which, containing only the so-called Broad-billed Jacamar (Jacamerops 

 aurea), constitutes a separate sub-family. 



BUCCONnXE (Puff-Birds ; 45 Species). Plate 13, Map i. 



This, again, is a purely Neotropical family, with a geographical range 

 almost coinciding with the Galbulidse. Seven genera are recognised, the 

 typical one (Bucco) containing 21 species. These birds are closely allied to 

 the Woodpeckers (Picidse). They are insectivorous, and most abundant in 

 the great tropical forests of Amazonia and Colombia, but little is recorded 

 of their habits. 



TIGIDJE (Woodpeckers ; 437 Species). Plate 13, Map i. 



This large family has a wide distribution, possessing representatives in 

 all the zoogeographical regions. The Australian Region, however, is only just 

 entered by a very few species, which occur in the islands of Lombok and 

 Flores, while Madagascar is entirely without representatives. They are 

 most abundant in the great forests of the Neotropical and Oriental Regions. 

 Some, however, never enter forests, but seek and obtain their food on the 

 ground, where they run with ease. Forty-nine genera have been founded 

 for the reception of these well-known birds. Of these, 20 are peculiar to 

 the New World, 14 to the Oriental Region, six to the Ethiopian, and 

 three to the Palsearctic. Woodpeckers are birds of retiring habits • 

 their prevailing colours are black, white, green and yellow. Three species 

 are resident in Britain, namely the Green Woodpecker (Gecinus viridis), the 

 Greater Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopua major), and the Lesser Spotted 

 Woodpecker {D. minor). The first and last named are only doubtfully to 

 be regarded as Scottish birds, while they are unknown in Ireland. 



IYNGID.E (Wrynecks ; 4 Species). Plate 13, Map i. 



The Wrynecks are sometimes regarded as a sub-family of the Picidse or 

 True Woodpeckers, from which they differ in having soft tails without spiny 

 shafts, while the nostrils are not concealed by bristles. They are arboreal 

 and insectivorous. Of the four known species, one, the Common Wryneck 

 {lynx torquilla) is found in the greater part of Europe, Asia, and North- 

 eastern Africa, occurring also in Senegal. It is a summer visitant to 

 England, and a bird of passage in Scotland, but is not known in Ireland. The 

 other three species, belonging to the same genus, are natives of Southern, 

 Equatorial and North-eastern Africa respectively. 



ORDER SCANSORES (218 Species). 



INDICATORID^l (Honey-Guides ; 18 Species). Plate 13, Map ii. 



This is a characteristic African family, only two species occurring else- 

 where than in this continent. One of these is confined to the Himalayas 

 and the other to the Malay Peninsula and Borneo. They both belong to 

 the typical genus Indicator, which contains 14 of the known species. The 

 popular name of these birds is due to their remarkable habit, generally 

 regarded as quite an intentional one, of attracting the attention of the 

 traveller to bees' nests which, when torn out of their place, furnish food to 

 the intelligent bird in the form of either bees, grubs, or honey. 



CAPITONID^ (Barbets ; 140 Species). Plate 13, Map ii. 



Although the members of this family occur in the Oriental, Ethiopian, 

 and Neotropical Regions, about half the known species are confined to Africa. 

 The typical genus, Capito, however, is purely Neotropical, its 16 species and 

 two of another genus constituting the entire series of New World representa- 

 tives. Of the 1 9 remaining genera 1 1 are African, while the Oriental Region 

 claims 8. The Barbets are purely arboreal in habit, being found chiefly in 

 forests or well-wooded districts. They are mostly birds of brilliant plumage 

 and live chiefly on fruits. 



