156 
ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS. 
[UPPER 
possessing great powers of song, which is not the case with many of 
the brighter plumaged kinds of the same family inhabiting the tropics. 
Of the wide-gaped section of Perching Birds, Cases 36-38, may be 
specified the Goatsuckers, which fly about at night, and live on moths 
and beetles ; the Trinidad Goatsucker, or Oil-bird, is found in caves 
in South America, and considered a delicacy. The Leona Goatsucker 
of West Africa, with very long feathers appended to its wings, so that, 
when flying, it looks like a bird with four wings. Case 39. The Todies, 
Kollers, Broadbills, and Motmots, living chiefly on insects and fruits ; the 
plumage of many of these is very showy. Case 40. The Trogons, living 
in low damp woods in the tropics, particularly of the New World ; one 
of the most conspicuous is the long-feathered Quezal, a sacred bird 
of the ancient Peruvians. Cases 41, 42. The Kingfishers, mostly 
large-billed birds with short tails, living on fish, insects, and other 
small animals, are of bright plumage. One of the largest is the 
Laughing Kingfisher of Australia, which lives on snakes and reptiles ; 
the colonists call it the Jackass, from its loud and singular note. 
Case 43. The Swallows and Swifts, which pursue flies on the wing; 
their wings and tail are very long, their legs very short. The Esculent 
Swallow constructs its nest of a substance which when dissolved in 
soups is esteemed a great luxury in China and elsewhere in the East. 
The same case contains the Hoopoes and Sunbirds of Africa and 
Asia ; the latter have brilliant metallic plumage, and have often been 
taken for Humming-birds ; they feed on the nectar of flowers and 
on insects which they find in the tubes of flowers. Case 44 contains 
the true Humming-birds, peculiar to America. Among the finest may 
be mentioned the topaz, garnet-throated, tufted-necked and racquet- 
tailed Humming-birds. The beak in some of the species is of enor- 
mous length; in most it is straight or bent down, in a few it is turned 
up. Their food consists of minute insects and the honey of flowers. 
They fly with a humming noise, and never settle on the ground. 
Case 45. The Honey-eaters, peculiar to Australia and New Zealand. 
They have curiously-feathered tongues, which assist them in sipping 
their food. Cases 46, 47. The Creepers, Nuthatches, and Wrens, most 
of which can creep up and down trees, their long hind claws taking a 
firm grasp of any inequality in the bark. The Nuthatches have great 
strength in the beak, in this respect resembling Woodpeckers, and, 
like them, tapping on trees. 
Cases 48-52. Warblers and Tit-Mice, feeding chiefly on insects 
and grubs. Case 48. The Tailor-birds, forming curious nests of 
leaves, which they stitch together ; the Emu Wren of Australia, and 
the Lyre-bird or Menura of Australia. Case 49. The Warblers, 
birds of plain plumage, but famed for their agreeable song ; the Black- 
cap and Nightingale are placed here. Cases 50, 5J. The Wheatears 
and Titmice ; the latter are very active in flitting from branch to 
branch and suspending themselves in all kinds of attitudes whilst 
seeking for insects. Case 52. The American Wood Warblers; the 
Pipits and Wagtails. 
Case 53. The Ant-Thrushes: some of these have long legs and 
short tails ; they are inhabitants of the tropics of the Old World ; 
