78 
NATURAL HISTORY. [UPPER FLOOR. 
The Perching Birds are divided into several groups, 
each containing four or five families. The Omnivorous 
Birds include the family of Crows , (Cases 15 and 19,) 
which have the nostrils covered with a tuft of bristles: the 
Titmice differ from the crows, chiefly in their diminutive 
size. The family of Paradise Birds (same Cases) have the 
front of the head covered with velvety feathers, and 
generally a tuft of more or less elongated feathers on each 
side of the chest, which gives them the appearance of hav¬ 
ing four wings. It was formerly erroneously supposed 
that these birds had no feet, though in fact they are rather 
large and strong; their habits are perfectly those of the 
crows, and though omnivorous, their favourite food is 
cockroaches and crickets. They are natives of New Guinea 
and the neighbouring islands, where the natives collect 
them to make plumes, and generally cut off their wings 
and feet to prevent those rigid parts from injuring the 
feathers; which gave rise to the error alluded to above. 
The family of Starlings (Cases 18 and 19) differs from 
the former in the bill being conical, slender, and naked, or 
only slightly bristled at the base, as the Starlings, Pastors, 
and Orioles, many of which build very artificial nests, and 
some, especially the Beef Eater, follow cattle and pick the 
insects from their skin. 
Cases 18—25 contain the Insectivorous Birds. 
The family of Butcher Birds (Cases 18 and 25) are the 
giants of the group. They have strong compressed bills, 
and destroy great quantities of insects, and some of the 
larger kind even kill small birds, and young frogs, which 
they impale on thorns and devour at their leisure. 
Amongst the Butcher Birds are the genera Lanius, Tham- 
nophilus and Platyrhynchus. 
The family of Fly Catchers (Cases 20 and 21) have very 
weak depressed bills, with long bristles at the gape ; they 
live chiefly on dies, which they catch on the wing, as the 
Fly Catcher, Fly Eater, &c. 
The family of Chatterers (Cases 22 and 23) are peculiar 
for the two outer toes of their feet being united together 
to the second joint, and they have depressed bills, as the 
common Chatterer, Berry Eaters, and Manakins. 
The family of Thrushes (same Cases) have rather strong, 
subulate bills, as the Thrushes, Ant Eaters, (Cases 24 and 
