108 
AN AUSTRALIAN BltlD BOOK. 
F. 92. Trochilidac, Humming-Birds, 581 sp.— 18 (5) Nc, 
576(563)N1. 
F. 93. Coliidae, Mouse-Birds, 14 sp. E. 
F. 94,Trogonidae, Trogons, 54 sp.— 16(16)0., 4(4)E., 
l(0)Nc., 34(33)N1. 
ORDER XIX, — COCCYGES. 
F. 95. Mvsophagidae, Plantain-eaters, Touracos, 85 sp. E. 
F. 9 6.CUCULTDAE (14), CUCKOOS (Cuckows), 202 sp.— 
61(50)A., 57(42)0., 8(0)P., 55(51)E., 8(0)Nc.. 
43(35)N1. 
Hawks," and are shot by people who foolishly shoot hawks. 
Many destructive insects fly only at night, and these night-flying 
birds are a necessity to maintain the balance of Nature. 
Swifts are cosmopolitan birds. One Swiftlet is world-famous 
on account of its saliva-built nest, which is the edible swallows' 
nest we used to read about. This bird occasionally visits 
Queensland. Two of the Australian birds breed in Japan. 
They are essentially creatures of the air; their long, pointed 
wings, shown much longer than the tail, indicate great speed. 
Gould said that a Swift might be hawking for insects over Vic- 
toria one hour, and over Tasmania the next hour; that is, it 
can cross Bass Strait in an hour. The spines at the end of the 
short tail feathers are thought to assist as a prop when the bird 
settles on a wall or a cliff face. In some Swifts the four toes 
point forward; this helps also in cliff clinging. Though so com- 
