CLASS II. AYES: ORDER 2. PASSERES. 
121 
term Chatterer is "wholly inapplicable to them, as they have only a faint chirp, generally uttered 
as they rise to fly. Nuttall tells a curious instance of politeness which he noticed among them : 
one having caught an insect gave it to his neighbor; this took it and gave it to another, and he 
to another, and so it went round for some time before it was devoured. 
The Japanese Wax- Wing, B. 'plimnicoptera^ resembles the American species, but is smaller, 
and is without the wax-like appendages. 
THE COTINGAS. 
These are considered as allied to the preceding, and comprise several genera, remarkable for the 
splendor of their plumage. The Piauhaus, so called from their cry, live in flocks in South Amer- 
ica, and feed on insects. The Great Piauhau, Coracias militaris of Shaw, is entirely purple. 
The True Cotingas inhabit humid places in South America. The Scarlet Cotinga, Ampelis 
carnifex, is seven inches long, scarlet above, and reddish-brown below. The Pompadoitr Cotinga, 
A. Pompadora, is a reddish-purple ; the Blue Cotinga, A. cotinga^ splendid ultramarine, with a 
violet breast. Our common bluebird resembles these, and was formerly included in the group. 
THE COLLARED FLT-CATCHEE. 
THE MUSCICAPIDJE OR FLY-CATCHERS. 
In this extensive and interesting family, which closely resemble the shrikes in their habits, 
the bill is generally straight, broad, and depressed at the base, with the gape wide, and fur- 
nished with long, stout bristles springing from the base of the upper mandible. The wings 
and tail are long, and the legs short and weak, with the toes more or less elongated. They are 
small birds, feeding for the most part upon insects, Avhich they take upon the wing. They estab- 
lish themselves in some elevated position, from which they dart ofi" after their prey, returning 
again to their post to swallow it. The larger species, however, like the Shrikes, are not content 
with such small game, but make war upon the smaller vertebrate animals. They include five 
groups, or sub-families, the Vireos, the True Fly-Catchers^ the Becards, the Tyrant Fly- Catchers^ 
and the Cock-Tails. 
THE VIREOS OR GREENLETS. 
This is a group of small American birds, of which the general plumage is usually more or less 
tinted with green or olive. They have a short, straight bill, and the bristles of the gape are short 
and weak ; the wings are long and pointed, and the toes of moderate size, the lateral ones being 
about equal, and both more or less united to the middle one at the base. They migrate from 
the tropical regions of America — Brazil, Guiana, and the West Indian Islands — to the United 
States, arriving here about the month of May, and returning southward in August and Sep- 
tember. Some of them have an exceedingly sweet warbling note, while the song of others ap- 
pears to have little merit. They feed almost entirely upon insects, some apparently preferring 
Vol. II.— 16 
