310 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



[Titmice. 



The cedar-bird is about six inches and a half long ; 

 its plumage is soft and silky, and its head is orna- 

 mented with an erectile crest. General colour 

 yellowish or fawn brown, fading into yellow on the 

 abdomen, and yellowish white under the tail. 

 Back and wing-coverts greyish brown. Throat 

 and a band passing from the forehead to the occiput 

 black, the latter narrowly margined with white. 

 Quill-feathers brownish black, some of the secon- 

 daries having the scarlet waxen appendages ; tail 

 brownish black, tipped with a band of pale yellow. 

 The female is rather smaller than the male, and 

 with paler colouring. 



1396. — The Asiatic or Japanese Chatterer 

 (Bombycilla phamicoptera). This newly discovered 

 species differs from the Bohemian and the cedar- 

 bird in the nakedness of the nostrils, in the length 

 of the crest, partially composed of black plumes, 

 and in the entire absence of the wax-like append- 

 ages with which in the other two species the 

 secondaries are tipped. 



The Japanese islands, as far as we know, appear 

 to be native territories of this bird, which is found 

 more particularly in the neighbourhood of Nan- 

 gasaki. Of its habits we have no definite details. 

 Length six inches and a half. The base of the bill 

 is bordered by a black band, which passes to the 

 back of the head, surrounding the eye in its way, 

 and terminates in the lower crest-feathers, which 

 are of the same colour throughout ; the chin and 

 throat are black; the crest is long, composed above 

 of feathers of an ashy-reddish colour with an inferior 

 layer of the black plumes already alluded to; the 

 breast, upper parts, and wing-coverts are of a 

 brownish-ash, and a red band traverses the wing 

 about the middle of it, ; all the quills are of an ashy- 

 black, the greater quills terminated with black and 

 tipped with white; the tail is of an ashy-black, 

 tipped with vivid red ; the middle of the belly is of 

 a whitish-yellow ; and the lower tail-coverts chest- 

 nut; feet black. 



Family PIPRID^I (COTINGAS and MANA- 

 KINS). 



Mr. Swainson regards the Pipridaj, or, as he calls 

 them, Piprinse, as a subfamily of the Ampelidse, 

 from which they differ in the slenderness of the 

 feet, shortness of the beak, and curvature of the 

 upper mandible ; most are of small size, and clothed 

 in plumage of the richest tints of crimson, orange, 

 yellow, blue, green, and black. The warmer 

 regions of America are their strongholds, but not 

 their exclusive habitat. According to Mr. Swain- 

 son the manakins " chiefly occur in the deep virgin 

 forests of the tropics, but are much more social than 

 the Cotingas. They live in little bands, are con- 

 tinually in motion, and feed almost entirely on 

 the large soft berries of the different species of 

 Melastoma: the nest of one species, Pipra pareola, 

 is often built in the fork of a shrub, in such an 

 exposed manner that the female can look all round, 

 and watch the approach of danger ; we found one in 

 such a situation in the forest of Pitanga, a single 

 leaf of a large pepper-plant (Piper) forming a kind 

 of umbrella shade over the female, which was 

 sitting, and did not rise from her nest as we passed 

 onwards." 



1397. — The Scarlet Cotinga 



(Phamicireus Carnifex). Ampelis Carnifex, Linn. 

 In this genus the bill is rather weak; the wings 

 are short and rounded ; the feet are short, the 

 middle and outer toes united, and the tarsi feathered 

 on their inner side. The scarlet cotinga equals the 

 wax-wing in size, and is a native of Brazil, Guiana, 

 and Surinam. It tenants the deepest recesses of 

 the forest, and is solitary in its habits, uttering from 

 time to time a monotonous whistle which sounds 

 like the syllable " quet." Waterton states that it 

 is found throughout Ihe year in Demerara, and is 

 fond of the seeds of the hitea-tree, and of those of 

 the siloabali, which ripen in December, and continue 

 on the trees for above two months. Nothing, how- 

 ever, is known of the incubation of this splendid 

 bird, and the Indians all agree in stating that they 

 have never seen its nest. The Caraibs term it 

 Arara and Apira. 



The general colour of this species is fire-red, 

 with a bright flaming-red cap ; the back is reddish- 

 brown, the breast blood-red ; the tail feathers are 

 purple terminated by ruddy black. The female 

 is paler, and the tints more dusky and obscure. 



1398. — The Swallow Fruit-eater 

 (Procnias ventralis). This beautiful species is a 

 native of Bahia, and more particularly of the 

 southern provinces of Brazil, where it frequents 

 the woods, feeding on berries and wild fruits. The 

 genus Procnias, of which it is an example, is cha- 

 racterized by the breadth of the beak, which has the 

 sides inflected and the tip straight, the gape being 

 remarkable for width, exceeding that even of the 



swallow tribe, and enabling the birds to swallow the 

 large berries of the Melastoma and of other tropical 

 shrubs with the greatest ease. Cuvier, speaking of 

 these birds, says, "ils se nourissent d'insectes," but 

 incorrectly, for fruits are their only food. Perhaps 

 this genus rather belongs to the Ampelidse than the 

 Pipridae. 



The Swallow fruit-eater is about Ave inches and a 

 half in length : the male is blue, with the anterior 

 part of the head and the throat black ; the sides are 

 transversely striated with dusky black ; and the 

 centre of the abdomen is white. The female is 

 green, with the forehead and throat grey ; and the 

 under parts yellowish, transversely striated with 

 dusky green. To this genus belongs the Bell-bird, 

 or Campanero, of South America, remarkable for its 

 note, which sounds like that of a bell through the 

 depths of the forests, recalling to the weary traveller 

 the remembrance of a far-off land, and suggesting 

 to his mind the beautiful words of Shakspere : — 



" True is it that we have seen better days, 

 And have with holy bell been knoll'd to church." 



As You Like It. 



till, carried away by his thoughts, he almost starts to 

 find himself in the gloom of an American forest. 

 "The campaneio," says Waterton, "is about the 

 size of the jay; his plumage is as white as snow; 

 on his forehead rises a spiral tube nearly three inches 

 long ; it is jet black, dotted all over with white 

 feathers, and has a communication with the palate, 

 and when filled with air looks like a spire ; when 

 empty it becomes pendulous. His note is loud and 

 clear, like the sound ot a bell, and may be heard at 

 the distance of three miles. In the midst of these 

 extensive wilds, generally on the dried top of an 

 aged mora, almost out of gun-reach, you will see 

 the campanero. No sound or song from any of the 

 winged inhabitants of the forest, not even the clearly 

 pronounced ' Whip-poor-Will' from the goatsucker, 

 cause such astonishment as the toll of the campa- 

 nero. With many of the feathered race, he pays 

 the common tribute of a morning and evening song ; 

 and even when the meridian sun has shut m silence 

 the mouths of almost the whole of animated nature, 

 the campanero still cheeis the forest; you hear his 

 toll, and then a pause for a minute— then another 

 toll, and then a pause again — and then a toll, and 

 again a pause — then he is silent for six or eight 

 minutes, and then another toll, and so on." Strange 

 1o the ear, and not less welcome, must be the bell- 

 like tone of the snow-white campanero. 



1399.— The Red and Black Manakin 

 (Pipra aureola}. The true manakins are very nu- 

 merous, and all of minute size and beautifully co- 

 loured : they associate in small flocks; frequenting 

 fruit-bearing trees in the woods, and are very active 

 and alert. The bill is small and weak; the wings 

 rounded ; the tail short. The present species is of a 

 rich red, with the exception of the back, wings, and 

 tail, which are black, and of the throat, which is 

 yellow. Locality, Guiana. 



1400.— The Galeated Manakin 



(Metopia galeata, Swains.) ; Pipra galeata, Licht. 

 In this species the tail is broad and lengthened, and 

 the wings ample ; a frontal crest projects over the 

 beak. The general colour is black ; the whole of 

 the head and back of the neck being of a rich crim- 

 son. It is a native of Brazil. 



1401 — The Crested Manakin 

 (Calyptura ciistatd). Bill short, strong, robust, and 

 with the upper mandible deeply notched. Wings 

 short and rounded; tail almost concealed; tarsi 

 lengthened. 



The general colour of this species on the upper 

 surface is brownish-green or olive ; the crown is 

 red; the rump yellow; the throat and breast yel- 

 lowish, this becoming brighter and more decided on 

 the abdomen; tarsi black. Native country, Brazil. 



1402.— The Diamond-Bird 



(Pardalotus punctatus). In the subgenus Pardalo- 

 tus the beak is stout, and notched as in Calyptura, 

 but the wings are long and pointed. The feet are 

 strong, and the lateral toe is free. 



This pretty little bird is a native of Australia, 

 where it inhabits the forest and brush-lands, but is 

 not very abundant. The general colour above is 

 grey, undulated with yellow ; the head and wings 

 are black dotted with white ; a white streak runs 

 above the eye ; the lower part of the back is fire- 

 red ; the throat is yellow ; the under parts whitish. 

 The female has the head dotted with yellow points. 

 It is from the spots on the wings that the settlers 

 have given to this species the name of diamond- 

 bird. * 



Family PARID^I (TITS, or TITMICE). 

 The birds of this family, of which our British 

 species the Parus major and the Parus caeruleus 

 may be regarded as typical species, are remarkable 



for their activity among the branches of trees, which 

 they traverse with the utmost address, creeping 

 around them, and clinging in all positions while they 

 examine buds, bark, flowers, and fruits, in quest of 

 insects and their larvae, prying into every recess and 

 crevice. Who has not observed their restlessness— 

 their ever-changing attitudes — their quickness, 

 their abrupt movements, their promptness and 

 celerity ? They frequent gardens, orchards, farm- 

 yards, hedge-rows, and copses, and are bold and 

 familiar. In addition to insects, they feed upon 

 hard seeds and grain, and some will even attack the 

 young of small birds, killing them by blows upon 

 the skull with their short sharp-pointed beak. The 

 colours of the titmice aie lively and well contrasted, 

 and the plumage is full and soft. 



In the restricted genus Parus the bill is strong, 

 short, subcorneal, slightly compressed, hard, and 

 pointed. The nostrils are basal and round, covered 

 with reflected bristly feathers. The outer and 

 middle toes are not united ; the hind-toe is strong, 

 and armed with a long and hooked claw. Wings 

 rounded. This form is almost universally spread. 



1403. — The Yellow-Cheeked Titmouse 

 (Parus Xanthogenys). This species, which is a na- 

 tive of the Himalaya Mountains, was first described 

 and figured by Mr. Gould in his ' Century of Birds, 

 Sec.' It is closely related to our Parus major, which 

 it is said to resemble also in its habits and manners. 

 The head is ornamented wilh a crest of black 

 feathers, covering the whole of the top; a stripe 

 above the eye ; the cheeks are yellow ; the ear- 

 coverts black; the back is olive'; the wings and 

 tail black, the former being spotted and the latter 

 tipped with white ; a broad black mark passes down 

 the throat and chest ; the sides of the chest and 

 flanks are pale yellow. Bill and feet black. 



1404. — A Group of British Titmice. 

 In this pictorial group we have specimens of the 

 following :— a, the Greater Tit (Parus major) ; b, 

 the Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus) ; c, the Cole-Tit 

 (Parus ater) ; d, the Marsh-Tit (Parus palustris). 



1404 (a). — The Greater Tit 



(Parus major) ; Mesange charbonniere, Temm. ; 

 Great Titmouse or Ox-eye, ' British Zool.' This beau- 

 tiful bird frequents gardens, orchards, and copses, 

 where in spring may be frequently heard its harsh 

 note, aptly compared to the sound produced on 

 sharpening Ihe teeth of a saw by the file. This 

 note is only heard during the pairing season, 

 and ceases when the bird has a nest. Its ordi- 

 nary cry is a loud chirp followed by a harsh clatter, 

 remarkably strong for so small a bud, as it may be 

 heard at a considerable distance. It uses, however, 

 a great variety of calls, or notes, of which one re- 

 sembles the call-note of the chaffinch, sounding like 

 the wovd pink. 



The Greater Titmouse feeds upon insects and their 

 larvae, which it digs out of crevices in the bark of 

 trees, or extricates from buds in which they have 

 made a lodgment. In autumn and during winter 

 it subsists upon grain and seeds, preferring such as 

 are of an oily quality. It will also pick bones, and 

 is partial both to the flesh and fat, which it greedily 

 devours. It will also disarrange the thatch of out 

 houses and other buildings in quest of torpid insects. 

 " The Great Titmouse (says Gilbert Whitej, driven by 

 stress of weather, much frequents houses ; and in 

 deep snows 1 have seen this bird, while it hung with 

 its back downwards, to my no small delight and ad- 

 miration, draw straws lengthwise from t he eaves of 

 thatched houses, in order to pull out the flies that 

 were concealed between them, and that in such 

 numbers that they quite defaced the thatch, and 

 gave it a ragged appearance." It is capable of 

 piercing the shells of nuts, of the kernels of which 

 it is loud. Mr. Sianey says, "We had often in 

 winter heard a humming noise, which appeared to be 

 caused by this bird, and throwing a stone smartly at 

 him, he dropped something, which proved to be a 

 hazel-nut, a little perforated at the smaller end by 

 repeated strokes of his bill. We often afterwards 

 watched him at work, and found under his workshop 

 many shells from which the nuts had been extri- 

 cated, and some split into halves. It is said that if 

 a nut be suspended at the end of a string, the tit- 

 mouse will fix himself on this nut, and follow all its 

 oscillations without ceasing to hack it with his 

 bill." 



Mr. Rennie observes that this species, when 

 going to sleep, rolls itself into around ball, erecling 

 every feather so as not to separate its point lrom 

 the adjoining ones. The quantity of non-conducting 

 surface is by this means increased to the depth of 

 nearly half an inch more than it is when the feathers 

 are laid flat and smooth ; and as the feathers of the 

 belly are at the same time spread over the feet, 

 the little creatine is admirably protected from the 

 cold." 



The Greater Titmouse breeds in the holes of ruins 



