88 
ROOM XIII. 
Nat. Hist. 
remarkable bird is the Secretary, (Case 10,) found at the 
Cape, called also the Serpent Eater, from its preying on 
those reptiles. The French attempted to naturalize this 
bird in Martinique, in order to destroy the lance-headed 
serpent, which abounds in that island. 
Cases 13 and 14 contain the Nocturnal Birds of 
Prey, or the family of Owls; some of which, as the 
Eared Owls, have a tuft of long feathers over the eye¬ 
brows, capable of being erected at the pleasure of the 
animal, w hence they are also called Horned owls. The 
most nocturnal birds of this family have very large 
ears, and those that fly both in the day and the night 
have them small like the hawks. 
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 di¬ 
minutive size. The family of Paradise Birds (Case 
17) 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,, w r hich 
gives them the appearance of having four w r ings. 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 cock¬ 
roaches 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 w’ings 
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 
