455 



CHAPTER VII. 



PASSERINES. 



The Passerines (from passer, the Latin for sparrow) form the least 

 natural group of the Aves. Here one seeks in vain for the homo- 

 geneous characteristics which distinguish the preceding races. Indeed, 

 it is difficult to detect the bonds which connect them together. For 

 example, where is the link which unites the Crow to the Swallow, or 

 the Hornbill to the Humming-bird ? Nevertheless, all these winged 

 creatures, so different externally, belong to the Passerince. It may be 

 said that this order presents only negative characteristics, bringing to- 

 gether in a somewhat odd assemblage all birds which are neither 

 web-footed, wading, gallinaceous, climbing, nor rapacious. The only 

 physical feature common to all Passerines on which much stress can 

 be laid, is that the outward toe is united to the middle one more or 

 less. Their food consists of seeds, insects, and fruit. They live 

 singly or in pairs ; they fly gracefully and easily • their walk consists 

 of a leap ; and they build their nests and take their rest under the 

 thick foliage of trees, or under the eaves of buildings. 



In this extensive group we find most of the songsters whose 

 melodious voices so charmingly wake the echoes of the woodlands. 

 Some of them have even the gift of imitating the human voice, and 

 the cries of wild animals. Many are remarkable for their brilliant 

 plumage ; others are appreciated as delicacies for the table. Man 

 has reduced numbers of them to comparative tameness, but has alto- 

 gether failed in bringing them to a domestic state. 



Cuvier divides the Passe?'i7ice into five great families — the Syndac- 

 tylies, Tenuiroslres, Conirostres, Fissh'ostres, and Dentirostres. The first 

 is based on the structure of the feet ; the other four on the formation 

 of the bill. But this classification is very arbitrary, as it is not always 

 possible to assign a place to certain groups by an inspection of the 

 beak alone. We shall, however, follow this distribution, as being 

 that generally adopted. 



