94 
NATURAL HISTORY. [EAST. ZOOL. 
which have a great resemblance to a drop of sealing-wax. 
It only rarely visits this country. The birds of this family 
chieflv feed on berries. 
The family of Butcher Birds ( Laniadce , Cases 60 and 61) 
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, pull to pieces, and devour 
at their leisure. 
The Conirostral Birds (Conirostres) have a strong co¬ 
nical bill, and live chiefly on grain and fruit. They are 
divided into flve families. 
The family of Crows, ( Corvidce , Cases 62—64,) have 
the nostrils covered with a tuft of bristles: the Titmice 
differ in point of character from the Crows, chiefly 
by their diminutive size. The Paradise Birds ( Para- 
disea) 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 having four wings. It was formerly erro¬ 
neously supposed that these birds had no feet, though in 
fact their feet 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 ( Sturnidce , Cases 65—67) dif¬ 
fers from the preceding in the bill being conical, slender, and 
naked, or only slightly bristled at the base, as the Star¬ 
lings, Pastors, and Orioles, many of which build very arti¬ 
ficial nests, and some especially the Beef Eater, follow 
cattle and pick the insects from their skin. The Silk 
Birds ( Ptilonorhynchus ) form artificial arbours of twigs, 
which they decorate with shell, bones, stones, and other 
articles, and through which they run in playful chase 
after each other. 
The family of Finches ( Fringillidce , Cases 68 —71) 
have short conical bills, and generally feed on seeds or 
fruits. The Weavers ( Ploceus ) build a very artificial nest. 
