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J. Cassidy—Perching Birds of Canada



There is a little book published in Australia, called The Lore of

the Lyrebird , and although it is written in a style of highly coloured

and sentimental journalism it gives quite a fair idea of the habits of

the Lyrebird, contains some excellent photographs, and is well worth

reading. It is the story of how one of these elusive birds made friends

with a woman who lived in a lonely cottage by a forest, and how it

used to come every day to display and sing for her on her veranda.


(To be continued.)



THE PERCHING BIRDS OF CANADA


By James Cassidy


The Order of Passeriformes or Perching Birds is to-day the largest

and quite the most important division of modem birds and heads

the classification by Systematists.


Of course, the perching birds have many characteristics in common

with birds that are not perchers but they have also a great number of

characteristics unshared by other orders.


One of the most remarkable is their capacity for song. The larynx

is highly developed as a singing organ with complicated muscular

control.


The feet are particularly well adapted for perching. They are not

webbed. The hind toe is nearly as long as the middle one. The bill

is not soft at the base but hard and horny and the nostril tubes are

free from communication with each other.


It is desirable to state that the Order Passeriformes has the sub¬

division into the songless perchers (Tyranni) and the song-birds

(Passeres). Here we shall interest ourselves with a few of the songsters.

Both sub-orders are well-represented in Canada.


One of the best beloved birds of the plains of Canada is the Western

Meadow Lark. Its brown and yellow, jet black and white are easy

marks of distinction. West of the Great Lakes in Canada this little

bird, about the size of a large Robin, is not to be mistaken for any

other species, not even for the Eastern Meadow Lark, but this latter

bird is seldom to be found west of the Great Lakes. Its throat, which

is lemon-coloured, shows oft the black necklace to great advantage.



