90 
ROOM XIII. used for sucking up the honey from the nectaries of 
Nat Hist flowers. They are chiefly confined to warm climates, 
as the family of Honey suckers, (Cases 29 and 30,) 
which are peculiar to New Holland and the neighbour¬ 
ing islands. They are generally of a dull black or 
olive colour, with compressed, subulate beaks. 
The family of Sun Birds , (same Cases,) from Africa 
and India, have the bill arched and finely toothed on 
the edge: the Hook-bill derives its name from the 
singularly curved form of its beak. In these Cases 
are also the Wall-Creeper, the Pomatorhine, and Scaler, 
and several species of the beautiful genera of Guit- 
Guit, and Promerops ; and the Hoopoe. 
The family of Dendrocolaptes , (Cases SI and 32,) 
from South America, are generally of a dull brown co¬ 
lour, and agree in many characters with the Insectivo¬ 
rous Birds, especially the Thrushes. Some have round¬ 
ed tails, as the Anabates, others have the ends of the 
tail feathers and the webs on each side of them, rigid, 
like the Woodpeckers, and use them in the same 
manner to support their bodies while they peck at the 
insects on the bark of trees. 
The Fissirostral Birds, or those which feed chiefly 
on the wing, have generally very short weak feet, and 
large gaping mouths; they live principally on insects, 
though a few of the larger kinds catch fish: some 
have very short beaks, as the family of Swallows (same 
Cases) with a close plumage, and extremely long wings, 
which enable them to fly with great rapidity; they are 
generally birds of passage, and often live in flocks, as 
the Swifts, which have all the toes in front; some have 
the end of the tail feather rigid like the Woodpeckers ; 
the Esculent Swallow forms a nest of sea-weed, which 
is used as food in China, and forms no unimportant ar¬ 
ticle in the commerce of that country. 
The family of Goatsuckers (same Cases) are noc¬ 
turnal birds, and have the soft downy plumage, and 
dingy colours of that tribe. They are generally 
solitary, living on moths, and laying their eggs on the 
ground 
