93 
ward, like the Woodpeckers, with great force. They ROOM XIII. 
live chiefly on insects, and one genus (the Spider- Nat . Hist. 
Eaters) almost exclusively on spiders. 
Cases 35 —44 contain the Zygodactylous Birds*. 
The Parrots (Cases 35—38), are known to every one 
by their domestic habits; they are characterized by 
their short, hard beak, which is surrounded at the 
base by a naked skin, like the Falcons ; and they 
have a short tongue, which is usually fleshy, but in 
a few, as the Black Cockatoo, it is hard and tubular. 
They are a very numerous group, and have been di¬ 
vided into many genera; they live chiefly on fruit. 
The family of Woodpeckers (Case 39) are charac¬ 
terized by their wedge-shaped beak with hard points, 
by their exsertile tongue, and by the tips of their tail 
feathers being produced and rigid. 
The family of Cuckoos (Cases 40 and 41) have a 
slightly arched, compressed beak, and long rounded tail; 
they live chiefly on insects, and many of the species are 
birds of passage. In the Coucals, the claws of the 
hind toes are elongated, as in the Larks. The In¬ 
dicators live chiefly on the wild bees of Africa, and 
serve to point out their nests to the natives, whence their 
name. They are furnished with a very hard skin, but 
the bees attack their eyes. 
The family of Barbets (Case 42) have large co¬ 
nical beaks, swollen out at the sides, and surrounded 
at the base by bristles; they live chiefly on fruit, but 
some eat insects, and even attack small birds; some 
species have large teeth on the side of the bill. The 
Curucuis differ only in having shorter beaks, and by 
being covered with very fine, soft feathers; many of 
them are beautifully coloured; they live chiefly in low 
damp woods, flying in the evening. 
The Toucans (Cases 43 and 44) are known by their 
enormous, light, cellular beaks, which are irregularly 
notched on the edge, and by their peculiar long fea- 
* See p. 84. 
ther-like 
