78 
POPULxiR HISTORY OF BIRDS. 
founds according to Mr. Yigne"^^ throughout the of 
the alpine Panjab^ where it strikes the eye of the observing 
traveller, as it displays the delicate scarlet patch upon its 
grey wings^ when flitting over the perpendicular banks, with 
the movements of a butterfly rather than those of a bird. 
This species is occasionally also to be seen creeping on the 
walls of St. Peter\s at Eome, but its true home appears to 
be the mountains of Spain and Italy, among the crevices 
and clefts of rocks, where it finds its food, which consists 
chiefly of insects and spiders. 
In this family, but belonging to a distinct division 
of it, named by Mr. G. Gray OrtJionycmce, is placed 
the curious Australian Ortlionyx spinicaudus, the beak of 
which somewhat resembles that of the thrushes^ while the 
legs are slender, and have long straight claws, with which, 
by the observation of M. Verreaux, the bird scratches among 
the fallen leaves for its food, throwing back the earth much 
in the manner of the Gallinacea, The tail-feathers ter- 
minate in sharp points, the use of which in the economy 
of the bird is not very apparent, as it does not climb trees, 
being strictly terrestrial. Its chief food consists of insects and 
their grubs. The nest is a large domed one, formed of 
* Travels in Kashmirj vol. ii. p. 31. 
