256 TlMEHRI. 
what closely resembles a swallow, the wings being 
long and the bill rather small : it has the habit of selefting 
high and bare branches for its perches, as do the swifts. 
Of the beautiful family of the jacamars (Galbulidae) 
also confined to tropical America, several forms 
(Galbula) are shewn, close to the puff-birds. In these 
birds the bill is elongated, straight, compressed and 
pointed and with a distinct, sharp, central ridge above ; 
the toes are arranged two forwards and one or two 
backwards ; and the plumage is of a remarkably brilliant 
metallic golden-green, occasionally with white, black 
and blue, chiefly on the under part of the body. These 
birds closely resemble kingfishers in general appearance ; 
unlike the kingfishers, they do not feed on fish, but 
almost entirely on inse6ls. They abound along the 
sheltered creeks and streams of the forest. 
Of the widely distributed family of the woodpeckers 
(Picidde), several species are shewn on the other side of 
the case below the macaws. In these birds, the bill is 
elongated, stout at base and strong, straight compressed, 
and rounded or truncated at the tip ; the tongue is very 
long and is moved by special muscles attached to the top 
of the skull as in the humming-birds ; the heads are 
stout in comparison with the thin neck ; the toes are 
turned two forwards and two backwards and are fur- 
nished with strong claws ; and the feathers of the tail 
are stiff and pointed, so as to aid the birds in climbing. 
The noise made by these birds while sounding a tree to 
detect the presence or absence of insefts in the wood, 
is heard to a great distance, and is a characteristic 
sound in the forest. 
Ot the widely spread family of the kingfishers (Alcedi- 
