The Wattled Stakling.- 
-BIKDS.- 
-Tiie Satin Boweu-iukd 
353 
a very different situation for their nests from that chosen 
by the Starling, building a structure of grass on the 
ground close to or within a bush or tussock of grass. 
During the autumn and winter they are much esteemed 
as an article of food ; and as they fly in flocks, and are 
easily shot at this season, they are brought to market 
in great numbers. 
THE WATTLED STARLING {Dilophus carunculatuh), 
an inhabitant of South Africa, is chiefly remarkable for 
having the skin of the face quite bare of feathers, and 
produced into a pair of wattles, whilst another pair 
descend from the base of the bill along the front of the 
throat. These naked parts are black; the general 
colour of the plumage is reddish-gray, palest beneath, 
and the wings and tail are black, with a variable bronzed 
lustre. The length of the bird is ten or eleven inches. 
This bird is gregarious and noisy, and in other respects 
resembles the Starling ; it frequents the herds of buf- 
faloes and other cattle, and feeds on insects, worms, 
and berries. According to Le Vaillant, it has the 
cunning shyness of the crows, keeping carefully out of 
gunshot, while an unarmed man may approach it with- 
out exciting alarm. 
THE OXPECKER {Baphaga africana), which is 
also sometimes called the Beef-eater, is a common bird 
in many of the warmer parts of Africa, where it follows 
the singular mode of life from which it has obtained its 
name. Perching upon the backs of oxen and other 
cattle, it sets to work busily to extract from their skins 
the larviE of the cestridae or bot flies, with which they 
are almost constantly infested, and which often give 
rise to painful tumours ; it creeps about in all direc- 
tions upon the body of the ox by means of its powerful 
feet, which exhibit some resemblance to those of a 
woodpecker, although the toes are in the ordinary 
position. The bill of the bird is well adapted for 
digging and squeezing out the larvm; it is short and 
stout, and inflated towards the extremity. The cattle 
are said to submit with exemplary patience to the 
operations of the bird, as if aware of the benefit to be 
derived from them. The Oxpecker is a small bird, 
measuring between eight and nine inehes in length ; 
its plumage is reddish-brown above, and pale tawny 
beneath, with the belly nearly white ; the bill is yellow 
at the base, and coral-red at the extremity. It lives 
in small bands, consisting of seven or eight individuals, 
and is very shy. 
THE SATIN BOWER-BIRD [Ptilonorhynchus holoseri- 
ceus). — None of the birds of this family are more deserv- 
ing of notice than the Bower-birds of Australia, on 
Fig. 115. 
account of the singular habits from which their name 
is derived. These birds construct a sort of bower or 
arbour of twigs, which they adorn in various ways, and 
then amuse themselves by running about and through 
their edifice as if enjoying the pleasures of a dance. 
VoL. I. 45 
The Satin Bower-bird— fig. 115~which is an inha- 
bitant of the forests of New South Wales, measures 
about thirteen inches in length, and is of a brilliant 
blue-black colour, with the wings and tail black, and 
the bill and feet yellow. The female is of an olive 
The Satin Bower-bird (Btilonorliynchus boiosericeus). 
