254 TlMEHRI. 
long, dark tail. In the cuckoos the bill is strong, rather 
elongated and curved ; and two toes are dire6led forwards 
and two backwards. These birds have long been 
notorious for the little attention that many of them 
give to their eggs and young. They do not build nests, 
nor do they hatch out their eggs by sitting on them, but, 
by depositing their eggs in the nests of other birds, save 
themselves all further trouble in the matter. To this 
family belong the birds known in the colony by the name 
of old witch or jumby-birds, (Crotophaga) . One of these 
birds is shewn in the case, close to the specimens of 
mounted humming-birds. The beak is boat-shaped with 
a strong keel above. The toes are turned two forwards 
and two backwards. Their eggs are of a whitish blue 
colour, and they are deposited by several birds in one nest. 
Of the family of the motmots, (Momotidae) a group 
confined entirely to the tropical American region, 
mounted specimens are shewn, behind the mounted 
humming-birds by the window, of the "houtou" (Momotus). 
This beautiful bird, which presents very varied hues of 
blue and green, possesses on the head an ereftile crest 
of black feathers surrounded by two shades of blue. The 
two middle feathers of the tail are extremely elongated 
and the bird usually strips off a portion of the barbs from 
these feathers near the extremity, so as to leave only a 
small tuft at the end of each. The motmots have rather 
elongated, slightly curved bills, strongly notched or 
toothed along the edges ; three toes are turned forwards 
and one backwards, and their outer toe is partially joined 
to the middle toe, though not to so great an extent as in 
the kingfishers. They somewhat resemble the beautiful 
rollers (Coracias. etc.J of the East Indies. 
