52 WATER.OUSELS— ORIOLES— LYRES. 



hesitatingly imitates all the sounds it hears, also belongs to the 

 tribe of Thrushes, 



1 6. The Water Thrushes, — Cinclus, — have a cutting, straight, 

 elevated beak, compressed and rounded towards the end, with 

 the point of the upper mandible bent over the lower one. There 

 L3 but one species in Europe, which has the singular habit of 

 descending into the water, without swimming, but walking about 

 the bottouT^ in search of small animals upon which it feeds. The 

 American Water Ouselt or Dipper , — Cinclus Americanus, — is 

 cinereous gray, with a blackish brown head and neck. It is 

 distinguished from the European species by the absence of the 

 white on the chin and throat. Of the particular habits of this 

 bh'd little is yet known. 



17. The xA.nt-Catchers, — Myoihera, — so called because they 

 live chiefly on ants, are recognised by their long legs and short 

 tail ; they are found on both continents. 



■ 18. The Orioles, — Oriolus, — resemble the thrushes very much, 

 but their beak is a little stronger, their legs are shorter and their 

 wings a little longer in proportion. 



19. The European Oriole, or Golden Thrush, the Yellow 

 Thrush of the Germans, — Oriolusgalbula, — is of nearly the same 

 size as the thrush, (nine or ten inches long, and the spread of the 

 wings about sixteen.) The male is of a beautiful yellow ; the wings, 

 the tail and a spot between the eye and beak are black, and the 

 end of the tail is yellow ; but during the first two years of life, like 

 the female at all times, he has an olive in place of the yellow, and 

 brown in place of the black colour. This bird suspends its nest, 

 which is very artfully constructed, from the branches of trees ; in 

 the summer it eats cherries and other fruits, but in the sprmg it 

 feeds on insects : it remains in Europe only during the warm 

 season, and goes to Africa to pass the winter. It migrates in 

 companies of five or six'. In the summer, when it has become 

 fat, its flesh is good to eat, and were it not so difficult to rear, it 

 would be the ornament of our cages for its beauty. The Balti- 

 more Oriole y or Golden Robin, — Oriolus ballimore, — Icterus 

 haltimore, — comes amongst us from its winter retreats in South 

 America, about the first week in May. It bears a general resem- 

 blance to the preceding. 



'20. The Lyres, — J/c? ///•«, — have been placed with the gallina- 

 ceous birds by some naturalists who were more struck with their 



16. Wliat are the characters of the Water Thrushes ? 



17. How aie the Ant-catchers recognised ? 



18. What are the characters of the° Orioles ? 



19. What are the characters of the European Oriole ? What are its habits ? 



20. What are the Lyres ? From what do thev take their name ? 



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