14 
GUIDE BOOK TO THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 
habitants of Africa, where they live on the larvse of a parasitical insect 
which they compress out of the skin of the rhinoceros by means of their 
bill ; as the African beef-eater. 
Case 66. The Starlings are found in both hemispheres, and they 
feed on the larvae which attack cattle ; they fly in large and crowded 
flocks ; as the rose-coloured thrush of Europe, occasionally found 
in Great Britain ; and Malabar grakle, pagoda grakle of India, &c. ; 
cockscomb grakle of South Africa; common stare of Europe and 
Great Britain; Sardinian stare of Europe, &c., and the Louisiana 
stare of North America, & c. The Quiscalince inhabit New Guinea, 
but especially North and South America ; as the gorget paradise 
bird of New Guinea, purple grakle and boat-tailed grakle of South 
America, &c. 
Case 67. The Icteric Orioles are also peculiar to America, and 
live in flocks, feeding on grain and insects ; as the black and yellow 
oriole, crested oriole, icteric oriole, and banana oriole, &c. The Age - 
laince, like the preceding series, are also found in North and South Ame- 
rica, generally in flocks among the cattle. Some of the species have 
a peculiar habit of laying their eggs in other birds’ nests, as the cowpen 
oriole, red-winged oriole, &c. 
Case 68. The Weavers, which inhabit Africa and India, and feed 
on grain. They form their nest of interwoven blades of grass ; as the 
Philippine grosbeak, weaver oriole of Africa, &c. The hawfinches have 
a powerful bill, which enables them to feed on hard fruits, &c. ; as the 
haw grosbeak of Europe and Great Britain, blue grosbeak of North 
America, crimson-breasted grosbeak of Africa, ground sparrows of 
Galapagos, and widow birds of Africa, &c. 
Cases 68, 69. The Tanagers, which are peculiar to the New 
World, are remarkable for their beauty of plumage, and feed on 
grain, berries, and insects ; as the red tanager and summer tanager of 
North America ; red-breasted tanager, bishop tanager, golden tanager 
of South America, &c. 
Cases 69, 70. The True Finches, which generally live in small 
flocks, feed on grain, and sometimes on insects ; as the house span-row, 
tree-finch, goldfinch, linnet, siskin, greenfinch, chaffinch, &c., of 
Europe, and found in Great Britain ; wax-billed grosbeak, fasciated 
grosbeak of Africa ; cowry grosbeak, white-headed grosbeak of India, 
&c. ; sea-side finch, yellow-winged finch, song-finch of North America, 
&c. ; the buntings are found in the world generally, and feed on 
seeds ; as the yellow bunting, foolish bunting, ortolan bunting, snow 
bunting, &c., of Europe, and found in Great Britain. 
Case 71. The Larks have the power of singing while rising from 
the ground perpendicularly in the air ; as the skylark, woodlark, &c. , 
of Europe, and found in Great Britain ; the bullfinches have very thick 
bills, which enable them to feed on hard grains and seeds ; as the bull- 
finch, rosy-finch of Europe, pine grosbeak of North America, & c. The 
crossbeaks have the points of their bill crossing each other ; as the com- 
mon crossbill, greater crossbill of Europe, and parrot-billed grosbeak 
of the South Sea islands, &c. The plant-cutters are inhabitants of South 
America, and are said to feed on vegetables ; as the Chili plant-cutter. 
The colies are peculiar to Africa and India, and live in flocks, feeding 
on fruits, and are remarkable for sleeping in companies, suspended by 
