﻿186 OX THE CLASSIFICATION OF BIRDS. 



shrikes and the toucans. The first, however, seem to 

 be rather scarce in South America, but the two latter 

 are very numerous, and both of them are well-known 

 suckers of eggs and destroyers of young and old birds. 



(159.) There is a style of building peculiar, we be- 

 lieve, to the Brazilian genus Synallaxis, which is inter- 

 mediate between a fixed and a pendulous structure. 

 Nests of this sort we observed more particularly in the 

 interior of Bahia, and they belonged to the Synallaxis 

 garrulus.* This little bird is no bigger than a sparrow, 

 but its nest is enormous. It is built in low thickets, 

 and, from its size, is apparent to every one, even at some 

 distance. The best idea that can be formed of it is to 

 suppose that a very thick band of beansticks, about four 

 feet long, had got entangled in a hedge, and had been left 

 there in an obliquely perpendicular direction. Some- 

 times two of these nests appear as if joined together, 

 and there appeared an opening on the side as well as 

 one on the top. The birds are generally seen close to 

 the nest, uttering a shrill, incessant, and monotonous 

 chirp, particularly in the morning and evening. It is 

 to be regretted that one of these nests was not then 

 taken to pieces for the purpose of ascertaining whether 

 there were, as it then appeared, two openings ; for, if so, 

 the circumstance would seem to imply that there were 

 two chambers. These nests were particularly common 

 in one tract, and we satisfied ourselves with bringing 

 home a specimen of the bird. Had their nests been 

 built in England, the mischevious disposition of our 

 countrymen, and their wanton unfeelingness towards 

 the brute creation, would have extirpated nests and 

 birds in a few years ; but no such traits are found in 

 the African or the Brazilian character : animals not 

 used for food, are left quietly to themselves. These 

 little birds were so full of confidence that they might 

 have been touched by a stick on the threshold of their 

 nests. Synallaxis, although a creeper, is a rasorial type. 



* Under the name of Malurus garrulus. Zool. Illus. i. pi. 138. 



