338 Passeues. BIRDS. Ampelid^. 
THE STREAKED PARDAIOTE {Pardalotus striatus) 
is another species which enjoys a wide distribution over 
the south of Australia ; it has not yet been met with in 
Van Diemen’s Land. It does not exhibit the pure 
white spots which give so much beaut}' to the plumage 
of the preceding species, and its lower surface is of a 
paler yellow. Its nest is neatly made of soft grasses 
and strips of bark, and placed in the hollow branch of 
a tree, or sometimes in a hole of the trunk. 
THE WHITE -SHOULDERED CATERPILLAR -EATER 
{Campqihaga humeralis), another Australian species 
of this family, is a summer visitor to the south of New 
Holland, in all parts of which it is common from Sep- 
tember to January. It is active and lively, and has a 
pleasing song, which it emits constantly during its seai’ch 
for food ; this consists of insects, which it captures on 
the wing, on the branches of trees, and on the ground. 
The nest of this bird is small and cup-shaped ; it is 
composed of fragments of bark, short twigs, and grasses, 
interwoven with other fine vegetable fibres, moss, and 
cobwebs ; it is placed on the forked branch of a tree, 
and so arranged that it is not easily detected from 
below. The whole length of the bird is about seven 
inches. The two sexes differ greatly in colour. The 
male has the upper parts black, with the rump gray, 
and the lower parts white ; the shoulders and upper 
wing-coverts are white, forming a broad hand along the 
wing. The female is brown above, and huffy white 
beneath. The bill and feet are black, or blackish in 
both sexes, palest in the female. Several other species 
of this genus ai’e found in Australia. 
THE GRAY CATERPILLAR-EATER {Campepliaga 
fimbriata), an inhabitant of the woods of India, is about 
the same size as the preceding species; it is of a slate 
colour, with the head, wings, and tail black, the latter 
bronzed ; and the tail has a gray spot at the tip of each 
of the outer feathers. The principal food of this species 
is caterpillars, grubs, and other soft wingless insects ; 
but it also feeds on winged and even hard-shelled 
insects, and on berries and seeds. 
THE BLACK CATERPILLAR-EATER {Campephaga 
nigra), one of the best-known African species, is com- 
mon at the Cape of Good Hope. It is about seven 
inches long, and is of a shining metallic black colour, 
with the lower wing-coverts green. 
THE LOBED CATERPILLAR-EATER {Campephaga 
lohata), which is an inhabitant of Sierra Leone and 
otlier parts of the west coast of Africa, is remarkable 
for having a large, red, naked wattle at the base of the 
bill in the male. 
THE CRIMSON-RUMPED CHATTERER {Pericrocotus 
peregrinus), an abundant species in India, is about six 
inches in length, of a gray colour above, with the rump 
crimson, and white beneath; the wings are brown, and 
the tail black, with the tips of the four middle feathers 
yellow. This bird is met Avith in the jungle, and in 
hedges and groves of trees; it is restless, lively, and 
active, resembling a Tit in its habits ; it feeds on insects, 
especially larvae, Avhich it captures on the trees. * 
THE FLAMMEOUS CHATTERER {Pericrocotus flam- 
meus) is another Indian species, of Avhich the male is 
splendidly adorned Avith black and orange plumage. 
It is abundant in the jungles, and ascends the moun- 
tains to a considerable elevation. It is seen in small 
parties of three or four at the tops of the high trees, 
frisking about and picking the insects off the twigs and 
leaves, or occasionally capturing 'them in the air. 
THE MURASING CHATTERER {Artamus fuscus) 
is an Indian example of a small group of Chatterers 
peculiar to Southern Asia and Australasia. They have 
the Avings very long' and pointed, often extending even 
beyond the tail, whence they have received the name 
of SwalloAV- shrikes. 
The habits of this bird someAvhat resemble those of 
the Flycatchers, as it .captures the greater part of its 
food, AAdiich consists of soft, Avinged insects, in the air ; 
but it is sociable in its habits, several collecting in a 
small flock on the top of a palm-tree, or on a bare twig 
projecting from the upper part of some other tree, and 
flying ofl' from time to time to make a short circuit 
in pursuit of insects, after which they all return and 
perch together as before. These flocks also frequently 
hawk about in the air like SAvallows, sometimes over 
Avater. 
THE WOOD-SWALLOW {Artamus sordidus) is an 
inhabitant of the Avhole southern portion of the Aus- 
tralian continent, and also of the island of Van Die- 
men’s Land, Avhere hoAvever, it is decidedly migratory, 
arriving in October, at the commencemeid of the 
summer season. It measures about six inches in 
length, and presents a sufficient resemblance to a SAval- 
loAV in its long Avings and slightly forked tail, and also 
in many of its actions, to justify the colonists in select- 
ing the name of Wood-sAvalloAv to distinguish it. The 
general colour of its plumage is a sooty gray, the Avings 
are blue black, Avith the outer edges of the second, third, 
and fourth primaries Avhite ; the tail is also blue-black, 
Avith the tips of all the featliers, except the tAvo middle 
ones, Avhite. The poAver of flight possessed by this 
bird is very great, and its evolutions in the air are 
singularl}' graceful. It captures a portion of its insect 
prey Avhile soaring aloft in the manner of a SwalloAV, 
but also seizes passing insects in the same Avay as the 
Flycatchers; or flies away from its perch, and sails 
round the tree, returning again to its original position. 
It is not a solitary bird, hut three or four individuals 
may be seen sitting together on a tAvig side by side, 
and generally quite close to each other ; they do not 
fly off in a party, but each bird as his desires prompt 
him, takes a short flight in pursuit of prey, and returns 
independently to his perch. They also perch in the same 
way upon a rail, and fly doAVii one by one to pick up 
iusects amongst the grass of the pastures. The most 
remarkable peculiarity in the habits of this bird is “ its 
manner of suspending itself in perfect clusters, like a 
SAvarm of bees ; a feAV birds suspending themselves in 
the under side of a dead branch, Avhile others of the 
flock attach themselves one to the other, in such num- 
bers that they have been observed nearly of the size 
of a bushel measure.” — {Gilbert, quoted by Gould.) 
Several other species of the genus Artamus inhabit 
various parts of Australia. 
THE INDIAN KING-CROW {Dicrurus macrocercus). 
This is a very abundant species in most parts of India, 
Avhere it has received the name of King-crow, or King of 
the CroAVS, from the incessant hostility Avhich it exhi- 
