mow coi. CMI. *CAO. SCIENCES EGGS.

Life-size.

1. Great Creasted Flycatcher. 2. King Bird. 8. Night Hawk. 4. Crow. 5. Red-headed Woodpecker. 6. Yellow-billed C 1. Audubon's Caracara. 8. Black-billed Magpie. 9. Kingfisher. 10. Screech Owl. 11. Turkey Vulture. 12. Gamble's Partridge. 13. Bob-White.

160

HE STAND

Isofi

, • >f M

7

VoL

THE STANDARD LIBRARY

\^

OK

Natural History

EMBRACING

Living Animals of the World and Living Races of Mankind

EDITORS AND SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS:

Charles J. Cornish, F. C. Selous, Ernest Ingersoll, Sir Harry Johnston, K.C.B.,

Sir Herbert Maxwell, F.R.S., H. N. Hutchinson, F.R.G.S.,

J. W. Gregory, F.G.S., R. Lydekker, F.R.S.,

F.Z.S., and many other eminent

naturalists

Nearly Two Thousand Illustrations

Vol. Ill

FISHES, REPTILES, INSECTS

1909

THE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY INC

NEW YORK

COPYRIGHT, 1901-1902 By DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY

COPYRIGHT, 1906 By THE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY

COPYRIGHT, 1907 By THE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY Inc.

COPYRIGHT, 1908 By THE UNIVERSITY SOCIETY Inc.

BIOLOGY

LIBRARY

G

THE STANDARD LIBRARY OF NATURAL HISTORY

VOLUMES I. -III.: LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

VOLUME III.

211204

CHAPTER XV

THE PERCHING-BIRDS

SUCH an enormous host are included under this head — nearly 6,000 out of the total of 13,000 known birds — and so great are the difficulties connected with their systematic arrangement, that it has been considered best to begin the present chapter with the highest instead of the lowest types of the group.

The extensive group of Perching-birds is defined mainly from the characters afforded by the structure of the voice-organ, and these are of much too technical a nature to be discussed

Fhitt *r C. RiiiT] [M,fiawi N.B.

JACKDAWS

It is believed that the jackdaw it the bird referred to by Shakespeare as the Russet-fated Chough (Midsummer-Night's Dream, in. 2)

here. Suffice it to say that, on account of these characters, the group is further divided into two sections, and each section again divided into two.

THE CROWS, ORIOLES, FINCHES, AND THEIR ALLIES

At the head of the tribe stands, by general though by no means universal consent, the Crow Family, of which the recognised chief is the RAVEN, a bird which has for thousands of years commanded a more than passing interest amongst mankind. Renowned as the truant from the Ark, or as the wonderful minister of the prophet Elijah, there are few even of the youngest amongst us who do not know of its striking personality. The poet and the dramatist have both made use of the raven, and it would seem that it has even found a place in the

65 5'3

'

Ph,t, b} Dr. R. If. Shuftldt]

AMERICAN CROW

THE PERCHING-BIRDS

515

mythology of the Red Indian.

The smaller relatives of this

celebrated bird, the ROOK,

the CARRION-CROW, and the

JACKDAW, and more distantly

the JAY and the MAGPIE, are

doubtless as familiar to our

readers as the raven.

Although probably un- known to many, the CHOUGH,

with its glossy black plumage

and brilliant red bill and feet,

is a British bird, and lives

still in certain parts of Eng- land, though fast verging on

extinction.

Another very remarkable

member of the family is the

HuiA, and this on account of the fact that the male and female differ markedly in respect of the shape of the bill, this being in the female long and sickle-shaped, and in the male short and cone- shaped. This bird frequents the wooded regions of North Island, New Zealand, living upon grubs found in decaying wood, and on berries. The female prccures the grubs by probing the holes which they have made in the sounder wood, the male by breaking away the decayed portions of the tree; but occasionally it happens that, having cleared

away as much of the decayed material as possible, the latter is unable to reach his prey, in which case he calls up the female, and yields his find to her, to extricate with her longer bill. So great a difference in the form of the bill in the sexes of the same species is elsewhere unknown among birds.

The Crows hold the important position of head of the Class birds, yet they are far outshone in splendour by many of the groups already examined, though, with the exception perhaps of the Humming-birds, these all pale before the BIRDS OF PARADISE.

Varying in size from a crow to a thrush, the best known of the latter is the GREAT BIRD OF PARADISE, which was discovered towards the end of the sixteenth century, if not earlier. On their first discovery it was popularly supposed that these birds lived in the air, turning always to the sun, and never alighting on the earth till they died, for they had neither feet nor wings. Hence the Malay traders called them " God's Birds," the Portuguese " Birds of the Sun," and the Dutch " Paradise-birds." Seventeen or eighteen inches long, these birds have the body, wings, and tail of a rich coffee-brown, which deepens on the breast to a blackish violet or purple-brown. The top of the head and neck are of a delicate straw-yellow, the feathers being short and close-set,

[Phot, ty Dr. R. U'. Shufildt] \_ffashingttn

YOUNG AMERICAN BLUE JAY (NATURAL SIZE)

The blue jay is a most remarkable mimic

516 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

mbling velvet. The throat-feathers have a scaly appearance, and are emerald-green in colour. T^e flank'feathers on either side of the body form a dense mass of long, dehcate, waving plumes, sometimes 2 feet in length, of an intense orange colour, and shining with a wonderful Lss These feathers can be raised and spread out at pleasure, so as to almost conceal wearer in a fountain-like rain of feathers. This wonderful plumage » worn by the male on y, the female being quite plainly dressed. In May, when they are m full dress, the male,

fhttt b) C. Riid]

\Wishaw, ff. B.

A PAIR OF MAGPIES

Wktn taken youngt the magpit is easily tamed, and can be taught to imitate human sounds

assemble early in the morning to exhibit themselves, forming what are known as " dancing- parties," which take place on the topmost boughs of some giant tree. " From a dozen to twenty birds assemble together," writes Mr. Alfred Russell Wallace, " raise up their wings, stretch out their necks, and elevate their exquisite plumes, keeping them in continual vibration. Between- whiles they fly across from branch to branch in great excitement, so that the whole tree is filled with waving plumes in every variety of attitude and motion." The native hunter marks these playing-places, builds a shelter of palm-leaves in a convenient situation among the branches, and ensconces himself under it before daylight, armed with a bow and a number of arrows terminating in a round knob. When the dance is in full swing, he shoots through the roof of his shelter with the blunt arrows, stunning every bird he strikes, which, falling down at once, are immediately picked up by a boy in waiting below. Often a considerable number will be thus secured before the alarm is taken.

Without coloured figures, or very numerous photographs from living birds, which we can hardly hope to get, it would be impossible, except at the risk of being wearisome, to describe all the wonderful combinations of form and colour which the feathers of the birds of paradise display. Breast-shields of metallic sheen, fans and crests in wonderful variety, feathers of a texture like velvet, or gorgeous colours, confuse one in their variety and combination.

THE PERCHING-BIRDS

5*7

Pfttto b) Schalaitii Pti^tt. Co.

CORNISH CHOUGH

Very nearly extinct as a British bird

Let it suffice to mention only the last dis- covered species — the KING OF SAXONY'S BIRD OF PARADISE. "Velvety black above," writes Dr. Sharpe, " and yellow- ish below, there is nothing very striking in the aspect of the bird itself, which is smaller than our song-thrush. But the 4 streamers ' which it carries ! Poised . . . on either side of the head is a long, shaft-like plume, from which depends, on the lower side only, a series of little flags of blue enamel, each quite separate from the one which precedes it, and not of a feathery structure in the least."

Close allies of the Birds of Paradise are the remarkable BOWER-BIRDS of Australia. Conspicuously beautiful in coloration as are some members of this tribe, they are celebrated not so much on this account as for an extraordinary habit of constructing " bowers " or " playing-grounds " — a trait which appears absolutely unique among birds. "These constructions," observes Mr. Gould, "consist in a collection of pieces of stick or grass, formed into a bower; or one of them (that- of the SPOTTED BOWER-BIRD) might be called an avenue, being about 3 feet in length, and 7 or 8 inches broad inside ; a transverse section giving the figure of a horse-shoe, the round part downwards. They are

used by the birds as a playing-house, or ' run,' as it is termed, and are used by the males to at- tract the females. The ' run ' of the SATIN-BIRD is much smaller, being less than I foot in length, and, moreover, differs from that just described in being decorated with the highly coloured feathersoftheParrotTribe. The SPOTTED BOWER- BIRD, on the other hand, collects around its ' run ' a quantity of stones, shells, bleached bones, etc. ; they are also strewed down the centre within."

More wonderful still are the structures reared by the GARDENER-BIRD of New Guinea, presenting, as Professor Newton remarks, " not only a modification of bower-building, but an appreciation of beauty perhaps unparralleled in the animal world. . . . This species . . . builds at the foot of a small tree a kind of hut or cabin . . . some 2 feet in height, roofed with orchid-stems that slope to the ground, regularly radiating from the central support, which is covered with a conical mass of moss, and sheltering a gallery around it. One side of this hut is left open, and in front of it is arranged a bed of verdant moss, bedecked with blossoms and berries of the brightest colours. As these ornaments wither they are removed to a heap behind the hut, and replaced by others that are

Phctt bj W. Savillf-Ktnt, F.Z.S.

KING BIRD OF PARADISE

native of New Guinea ; remarkable for the curltd tail-leathers

5i8 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phott if W. Savillt-Ktnt, F.Z.S.

QUEENSLAND RIFLE-BIRD

This unique Australian representative of the Birds of Paradise it about the size of a pigeon. In plumage is black ivt;h a purple theen ; the throat is brilliant metallic emerald-green, like that of a humming-bird

brown. Later black feathers, with large white spots at the tips, make their appearance among the brown. These spotted feathers eventually replace the brown, and the bird enters upon a second quite distinct phase — a black, spotted with white. Gradually this gives place to a plumage entirely unspotted, the feathers on the breast being spear-shaped. In the adult dress a wondrous variety of metallic reflections is acquired — green, purple, and violet.

Associating in the autumn and winter in large flocks, starlings move from place to place in search of food. Sometimes the number of birds in these combined flocks rises to an enormous figure. One of the largest of these gatherings recorded in England existed on the property of the late Mr. Miles near Bristol. " This locality is an evergreen plantation . . . covering some acres, to which these birds repair

fresh. The hut is circular and some 3 feet in diameter, and the mossy lawn in front of it nearly twice that expanse. Each hut and garden are, it is believed, though not known, the work of a single pair of birds, or perhaps of the male only; and it may be observed that this species, as its trivial name implies, is wholly inornate in plumage. Not less remarkable is the more recently described ' bower ' of the GOLDEN BOWER-BIRD. . . . This structure is said ... to be piled up almost horizontally around the base of a tree to the height of from 4 to 6 feet, and around it are a number of hut-like fabrics, having the look of a dwarfed native camp." Allied species, though building no bowers, yet clear a space of ground some 8 or 9 feet in diameter, on which to display themselves, and ornament this with little heaps of gaily tinted leaves, replacing them as they fade with fresh specimens.

We pass next to the birds of the Starling Family, of which the BRITISH STARLING is the type. A bird so familiar needs no description here ; but we may draw attention to the many interesting phases of plumage this species undergoes.

The first plumage is a uniform greyish

Photo by W. Savillt-Ktnt, F.Z.S.

RED BIRD OF PARADISE

Found only on the small island of Waigiou, off the north-west coatt of Neiv Guinea

THE PERCHING-BIRDS

5*9

of an evening ... by millions, from the low grounds about the Severn, where their r.oise and stench are something altogether unusual. By packing in such myriads upon evergreens, they have stripped them of their leaves, except just at the tops, and have driven the pheasants, for whom the plantation was intended, quite away from the ground. In the daytime, when the birds are not there, ths stench is still excessive. Mr. Miles was about to cut the whole plantation down, to get rid of them, two years ago, but I begged him not to do so, on account of the curiosity of the scene, and he has since been well pleased that he abstained."

A similar but still larger congregation has been described; in this, about the year 1845, from 150,000 to 200,000 starlings were computed to rest every night, between the end of October and the end of March, in certain trees in the gardens of the Zoological Society in Dublin. The roof of St. Patrick's Cathedral, in the heart of Dublin, has from time to time been resorted to, as many as 2,000 seeking shelter there. "Possessing very considerable powers of wing," observes Yarrell, " these are turned to account in an extraordinary manner by the birdscomposing the flock. They wheel, close, open out, rise and descend, as if each were obeying a com- mander, and all this is done with the utmost marvellous precision while the flock is proceeding at a rapid pace through the air. At times it may extend in a long and nearly straight thread; suddenly an undulation is visi- ble along the line, and in a moment it takes the form of a thin and smoke-like cloud ; another moment, and it is a dense and almost perfect globe; then possibly, having preserved this appearance for a perceptibly longer time, it becomes pear-shaped, and in another instant has assumed a spiral figure ; an instant after it has spread out like a sheet, and its members are streaming softly along the ground, perhaps to alight, or perhaps once more to mount aloft and circle as before." There are few more magnificent sights in "the world than a flock of starlings when performing evolutions

of this kind.

Differing much, not only in general appearance, but also in coloration, from the common starling is the ROSE-COLOURED STARLING, so called from the beautiful rose-pink colour of the back and breast, set off by the rest of the plumage, which is black, glossed with violet, blue, and green reflections. This handsome bird occasionally visits Britain. Feeding largely upon locusts, these birds are much affected in their movements by the peregrinations of these pests; and this accounts for the sporadic appearance of the rose-coloured starling in huge flocks in places where it is generally seldom seen.

Dull in appearance, ungraceful in flight, and with a harsh, unmusical note, the starling

A, C. R.i£\ iaw, N. B.

YOUNG STARLINGS

Starlings, if taken -when young, are easily tamed and make excellent pets

520

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

Phot, by J T Utwman

COMMON STARLING

Starlings appear to be on the increase in Scotland, 'whilst larki are laid to be on the decrease, owing to the destruction of their eggs by the former

known as the Ox-PECKER would seem at first sight to have little to recommend it ; yet it is one of the benefactors of the larger African mammals, clearing them of flies and other insect-pests. Buffaloes, rhinoceroses, elephants, are alike grateful for its services, as it climbs about their huge bodies, picking off the liliputian enemies by which they are beset. But little appears to be known of the breeding-habits of these birds.

In strong contrast to the dull-looking Ox-birds arethebeautifulGLOSSYSTARLlNGS and CRACKLES. The AFRICAN GLOSSY STARLINGS, indeed, repre- sent the most beautiful of all the members of the Starling Tribe. In one of the handsomest and best-known species — the LONG-TAILED GLOSSY STARLING — metallic green and purple-violet are the predominating tones in the plumage, glossed with copper reflections, and relieved by black or darker bars of green and purple. In another species — the GREEN GLOSSY STARLING of East- ern Africa — the shimmer of the plumage is so wonderful that the exact shades of colour are diffi- cult to describe, in that they change completely, according to the light in which the bird is held.

The GRACKLES, or HILL-MYNAS, are Indian birds, with glossy black plumage, relieved by bare flaps of yellow skin projecting backwards These birds make excellent pets, learning both to

I

cts

from the head immediately behind the eye.

whistle and talk. *

We come now to the beautiful ORIOLES — birds belonging to the temperate and tropical parts of the Old World. The males, as a rule, are clad in a vestment of brilliant yellow and black, but in some species the under-parts are relieved by rich crimson. One species — the GOLDEN ORIOLE — has on several occasions visited the British Islands, and even in one or two instances has nested there. But, as with all brightly plumaged birds in England, no soon is their presence discovered than they are doomed to fall to the gun of some local collector.

The HANG-NESTS, COW-BIRDS, and RICE-BIRDS are American birds, bearing in many respec a resemblance to the Starlings, chiefly, perhaps, in the form of the beak. Generally black in plumage, in many bright colour is conspicuous.

HANG-NESTS range from North and Central America to Southern Brazil. As a rule they are brilliantly coloured, the livery being bright orange and yellow, set off by black and white. The majority of the numerous species build remarkable nests, looking like long stockings, which they hang from the under side of the bough of a tree; they are composed of coarse grass deftly woven together.

The COW-BIRDS are mostly South American, though the United States possess two or three species. Some, like the Cuckoos, are parasitic, dropping their eggs into the nests of other birds, to be hatched by the owners: the young cow-bird, however, dwells in harmony with his foster-brothers and -sisters, instead of ejecting them from the nest, like the young cuckoo. The name Cow-bird is bestowed upon these birds on account of the persistent way in which they haunt herds of cattle for the sake of the flies which congregate about those animals.

The RICE-BIRDS are represented by some rather showy forms, and others of wonderful powers

The typical RICE-BIRD, or BOB-O-LINK, is an especial favourite as a songster. Thoreau

writes of this song: « It is as if he [the bird] touched his harp with a wave of liquid melody,

THE PERCHING-BIRDS

521

and when he lifted it out the notes fell like bubbles from the strings. . . . Away he launched, and the meadow is all bespattered with melody." Where rice is extensively cultivated, however, this bird is by no means so enthusiastically welcomed, causing immense destruction to the standing crops — flocks numbering, it has been said, some millions alighting in the fields and leaving too little grain to be worth the trouble of gathering.

We pass now to a group of exceedingly interesting birds, some of which are remarkable on account of the beauty of their plumage, others from their wonderful nesting-habits. The group includes many familiar as cage-birds, such as the LONG-TAILED WIDOW-BIRDS, the RED- BEAKED WAXBILLS, AMADAVATS, JAVA SPARROW, GRASS-FINCHES, MUNIAS, and so on, all of which are embraced under the general title of WEAVER-BIRDS, a name bestowed on account of their peculiar nests.

Ph,u bj Dr. R. H: Shuftldt]

Known also as the Meadow-starling,

[ffasltixgteit

MEADOW-LARK (NATURAL SIZE)

This bird, a native of the Eastern United States, has occurred three times in the British Lla'nds, but it it doubtful 'whether these specimens "were wild

Abundant in Africa, and well represented in South-eastern Asia and Australia, these birds bear a strong family resemblance to the Finches, from which they differ in having ten primary quills in the wings.

One of the most peculiar is the South African LONG-TAILED WHYDAH- or WIDOW-BIRD. Strikingly coloured, this bird is rendered still more attractive by the extremely elongated tail- feathers, which are many times longer than the body, so long, indeed, as to impede its flight, which is so laboured that children commonly amuse themselves by running the bird down. Kaffir children stretch lines coated with bird-lime near the ground across fields of millet and Kaffir corn, and thereby capture many whose tails have become entangled among the threads.

In brilliancy of coloration the Whydah-birds— for there are several species — are pressed hard 66

522 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

by the BISHOP-BIRDS, the handsomest of which is the red species. Sociable in habits, this bird throughout the year consorts in immense flocks, which in the summer consist chiefly of males.

Of the more remarkable nest-builders, the most conspicuous are the BAYA SPARROWS, or TODDY-BIRDS, of India and Ceylon, and the SOCIABLE WEAVERS. The former suspend their nests by a solidly wrought rope of fibre from the under side of a branch, the rope expanding into a globular chamber, and then again contracting into a long, narrow, vertical tube, through which the birds make their exit and entrance. The latter — the SOCIABLE WEAVER-BIRD of Africa- builds a still more wonderful structure. As a thing apart it has no existence, a number of birds, varying from 100 to 300, joining their nests together, so as to form a closely interwoven structure, resembling, when finished, a gigantic mushroom. The structure is built among the branches of large trees, so that the tree looks as though it had grown up through a native hut, carrying the roof with it. Cartloads of grass are required to rear this structure, which is nearly solid. Seen from below, it presents a flat surface riddled with holes ; these are the

entrances to the nests.

Closely resembling the typical Finches in general appearance, and often gorgeous in coloration, is the group known as the TANAGERS, of which more than 400 distinct species are known to science. Ex- clusively American, the majority of the species are found in Central and South America, though a few move northwards into the United States in summer. The most beautiful are the SCARLET, CRIMSON-HEADED, and WHITE- CAPPED TANAGERS. The last- named is generally allowed to be the loveliest of the group. The entire plumage of both sexes is a beautiful cornflower-blue, sur- mounted by a cap of silvery-white feathers, a crimson spot on the forehead looking like a drop of

th»t by

lleighton Buxxard

HAWFINCH

A resident in the eastern and midland countiet of England

of the sexes is worth

" *

of coloration, though but little in

many are

Wtt H^resTeyr ZZ^^Zg^ ^™°^'*^ ^ lar=ber of species, may be divided into ^^o^^^^^^Z

America, are remarkable for their beauty, icmbers are the HAWFINCHES and GREENFINCHES. though rare in Scotland and Ireland, the HAWFINCH contrives the gardener, owing to its fondness for peas, though it

nnn<=> m fV«'r. A'.~ 0~f;_ L .1

on by the numbers of noxious insects

mixed with lichens i "of"; »"» f'ructure; outside it is composed of twigs inter-

f dry grasses hned with fine roots and hair. The site chosen

Among the weU-kno™ Common in many pa's of E to make "tsTmfch dtuked fully compensates for the da H S I"

it destroy. The nest i a verfh ^'1 "

'"

Phc't, by C.

YOUNG CHAFFINCHES

The chaffinch is one of the commonest of the British Jinche

Photo by C. Riid

HOUSE-SPARROWS

The sparrow is to be reckoned among the few really harmful birds 523

THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

BULLFINCH

Ulaclt -varieties are occasionally taken in a wild state. Caged specimens fed on hemp-seed frequently turn black

varies, a favourite place being an old apple- or pear- tree in an orchard ; but the woods and fir plantations are not seldom resorted to. The GREENFINCH is an equally common British bird. Of a more confiding disposition than the hawfinch, it makes an excellent cage-bird, becoming with judicious treatment exceed- ingly tame. It is a useful bird, travelling during the autumn and winter in large flocks, and feeding on the seeds of wild mustard and other weeds. Its nest differs conspicuously from that of the hawfinch, being a somewhat untidy structure, composed of fibrous roots, moss, and wool, lined with finer roots, horse- hair, and feathers.

Among the TRUE FINCHES, distinguished from the Grosbeaks by their less powerful bills, are several other well-known British birds. Of these, none are better known than the CHAFFINCH. Gay in appear- ance and sprightly in habit, this is a general favourite everywhere, and much in demand as a cage-bird. His short though delightful song possesses a peculiar charm, coming as it does with the earliest signs of returning spring. The fascination of this song has never been better expressed than in Browning's lines: —

O to be in England

Now that April 's there ;

And whoever wakes in England

Sees, some morning, unaware,

That the lowest boughs of the brushwood sheaf

Round the elm-tree bole are in tiny leaf,

While the Chaffinch sings on the orchard bough

In England now !

The nest, which is an exceptionally beautiful structure, takes about a fortnight to build. Closely woven, it appears to consist mainly of wool, into which moss and lichens of various colours are deftly woven. The outside is cunningly decorated with bits of lichen and the inner bark of trees, such as the birch, the whole being secured by a thin veil of spiders' webs. The lichen and bark serve to render the nest inconspicuous by blending it with the general appearance of the bush or small tree in a forked bough of which it is placed. Inside the wool is more closely felted even than on the outside, and this is covered with fine hairs, amongst which a few feathers are intermixed. The work of building seems to be done by the female only, though the male helps by bringing the materials.

Of the GOLDFINCH, LINNETS, and BULLFINCH, by far the most popular and beautiful is the GOLDFINCH, which is, and probably will long remain, one of the most prized of cage-birds. Gifted "with the fatal gift of beauty," this bird is much persecuted by bird-catchers; and indeed, partly owing to the depredations of these men, and partly to improved methods of agriculture, which have diminished its feeding-area, this handsome bird is growing more and more rare every year.

Next to the goldfinch perhaps the LlNNET is most sought after as a cage-bird. Large numbers are taken during the autumn, when the birds congregate in large flocks before departure on migration. Those captured in the spring are said to be very impatient of confinement, and only a small percentage seem to survive.

The linnet is one of the most variable of birds in the matter of plumage, and for a long while the opinion was generally held, especially by bird-catchers, that several distinct species—

THE PERCHING-BIRDS

the RED, BROWN, and GREY LINNETS — existed. It is now known that these are all phases of plumage common to one species. In the male in full summer dress the forehead and centre of the crown are blood-red, whilst the breast is of a glossy rose-red ; but these bright colours do not seem to be acquired so universally as is the case with other birds which don a special breeding-dress, nor are they ever developed in captivity. Occasionally what are called LEMON- BREASTED varieties of the linnet occur in which the rose-colour of the breast is replaced by yellow.

The BULLFINCH, though one of the common British birds, is by no means so abundant as the two foregoing species ; for whilst the other two travel in small flocks, the bullfinch is a solitary bird. Few birds perhaps have earned a more evil name than the bullfinch, which is accused by the gardener of inflicting enormous damage on the flower-buds of fruit-trees in winter and spring. " On the other hand," writes Mr. Hudson, " he is greatly esteemed as a cage-bird, and the bird-catchers are ever on the watch for it. But the effect in both cases is pretty much the same, since the hatred that slays and the love that makes captive are equally disastrous to the species." That it is diminishing in many districts there can be no doubt, and perhaps its final extermination is only a matter of time. Though by no means a remarkable songster in a wild state, in captivity it is capable of learning to whistle strains and airs of human composition with some skill, good performers fetching high prices.

The SPARROW and the wild CANARY of Madeira — from the latter of which our cage- pets have been derived — are also members of the Finch Tribe, but are too well known to need fuller mention.

Closely allied to the finches are the BUNTINGS, which are really only slightly modified finches. Several species are British birds, one of the commonest being the CORN- BUNTING, a bird which bears a wonderful resemblance to a skylark, from which, how- ever, it may be distinguished by its large beak and small claw on the hind toe.

The YELLOWAMMER, or YELLOWHAM- MER, is another familiar roadside form in

Phatt by J. T. Newman

GREENFINCH

Commonly known as the Green Linnet

England, which scarcely needs description.

The most celebrated of all the buntings

is the ORTOLAN, or GREEN-HEADED BUNTING, a bird resembling its congener the yellowhammer, but lacking its bright coloration. It has acquired fame from the delicate flavour of its flesh, and to supply the demand for this delicacy immense numbers are netted annually by the bird-catchers of the Continent. Wintering in North Africa, these birds leave Europe in September in large flocks, and it is during this migration and the return journey in the spring that their ranks are so mercilessly thinned. Common over the greater part of it is somewhat surprising that the ortolan does not occur more frequently in the Islands, where it is only an occasional spring and autumn visitor.

The SNOW-BUNTING, or SNOWFLAKE, is a regular winter visitant to the British Islands, some pairs indeed remaining to breed in the Highlands of Scotland every year, whilst its presence serves to enliven some of the dreariest spots of high northern latitudes, breeding-dress is a handsome bird, having the upper-parts black and the under white; its mate is somewhat duller, the black parts being obscured by greyish white, fulvous, and blackish

THE

LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

rhn» 4? tr. F.

LINNET

Oiu of thi most popular cage-birdt. The so-called Red-brown and Grey Linnets are but phases of plumage of the same species. The bird

in the "igkt-hand corner is a greenfinch

brown, whilst the white parts are less pure in tone. The full dress of the male is rarely seen in the British Isla'nds, save in specimens procured from Scotland ; for in winter, when the snow-bunting is chiefly captured, the plumage is altogether more rufous.

Unlike the buntings so far described, the REED-BUNTING is to be found only in marshy places, but in suitable localities it may be found in the British Islands all the year round, being as common a species as the corn-bunting, and therefore not calling for special description here.

The eggs of the buntings are remarkable for the curious scribble-like markings which cover them, and serve readily to distinguish them from those of any other British bird.

CHAPTER XVI LARKS, TITMICE, HONET-EJTERS, AND THEIR KINDRED

CONFINED almost entirely to the Old World, where they are represented by more than one hundred species, many of which have undergone considerable specialisation in the matter of plumage, so as to enable them to live in desert regions, the LARKS constitute a well-marked group, into the characters of which we need not enter here.

The best-known member of the group is the SKYLARK. Common throughout the British

, and of sober coloration, no bird is more universally beloved, and this largely on

sweetness of its song, which is second only to that of the 'nightingale. Poets

-writers alike have sounded its praises, many in passages that will be remembered as

our language lasts. The skylark is one of the few birds which sing while on the

•lgJK !uPCu nature °f the %ht at this time a11 must have watched, entranced the while by the beauty of the soiur.

LARKS, TITMICE, HONEY-EATERS, THEIR KINDRED 527

Grahame, in his "Birds of Scotland," happily describes the nest as follows: —

The daisied lea he loves, where tufts of grass Luxuriant crown the ridge ; there, with his mate, He founds their lowly house, of withered bents, And coarsest speargrass ; next, the inner work With finer and still finer fibres lays, Rounding it curious with its speckled breast.

This bird displays great affection for its young, removing them under the fear of impending danger, or if the nest is meddled with. Occasionally, however, the bird sits close, instead of seeking safety by flight.

Brighton enjoys the credit of consuming more larks than any other place in England, except London. It has been estimated that the number of larks annually entering the metropolitan markets alone reaches a total of 400,000 — 20,000 or 30,000 being often sent together; and the numbers eaten elsewhere in the country must be enormous, quite as large, indeed, as abroad. Most are captured from the hosts which arrive on the east coast of Scotland and England from the Continent on approach of severe weather, the birds making their appearance in thousands, forming a constant and unbroken stream for two or three days in succession.

Close allies of the Larks, the WAGTAILS and PlPITS come next under consideration. The former range over the Old World, but are unknown in Australia and Polynesia. The pipits have a similar range, but one species is found in, and is peculiar to, Australia. Like wagtails, pipits are unknown in Polynesia; only two species occur in America.

The WAGTAILS are generally black and white, grey and white, grey with yellow breasts, or yellowish green with yellow breasts. In the last-mentioned case, as in some specimens of the YELLOW WAGTAIL, the yellow predominates. These birds frequent streams and stagnant waters, like the RED and GREY WAGTAILS ; or corn-fields and meadows, as in the case of the YELLOW WAGTAIL. All these are commonly met with in the British Islands.

SKYLARKS

The numbers of tkylarkt teem to increase -wit A the spread of agricultural improvement

528 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD

The PIPITS are duller-coloured than the Wagtails, have shorter tails, and evince less fondness for the water. The MEADOW-, ROCK-, and TREE-PIPITS are the commonest British species. Neither Wagtails nor Pipits are much given to perching, but tne TREE-CREEPERS spend their lives upon trees, some being specially modified for this mode of life, their tail-feathers being stiff and terminating in sharp points. By pressing its tail closely against the tree-trunk up which it is climbing, the bird obtains a wonderfully reliable support. Beginning at the bottom of a trunk, creepers quickly work their way up in a spiral direction, or sometimes in jerky zigzags, searching every crevice for tiny insects, their eggs and larvae, and flitting from the higher branches, when these are reached, to the base of another tree.

Creepers are mostly dull-coloured, but the WALL-CREEPER has crimson patches on tb wings. This bird, which has occurred in Britain, haunts mountain-cliffs. The TREE-CREEPER, a resident in Britain, builds its nest behind pieces of loose bark, or under tiles, or in crevices of trees, walls, or hollow branches. In this nest are laid from six to nine eggs, pure white, spotted with red, or with a creamy ground-colour, with the spots thicker round the large end.

Intermediate in position between the Creepers and the Titmice are the NUT- HATCHES. Chiefly inhabitants of the northern parts of both hemispheres, they extend as far south as Mexico, whilst in the Old World they occur plentifully in the Himalaya. The largest species is found in the moun- tains of Burma. One species is frequently met with in England, and occasionally in Scotland, but is unknown in Ireland. .

The ENGLISH NUTHATCH may serve us as a type of the group. " Its habits," writes Dr. Sharpe, " are a combination of those of the tit and woodpecker. Like the former bird, the nuthatch seeks diligently for its insect-food on the trunks and branches of trees, over which it runs like a woodpecker, with this difference, that its tail is not pressed into the service of climbing a tree, nor doe it generally ascend from the bottom to th top, as a woodpecker so often does. On th contrary, a nuthatch will generally be foun in the higher branches, and will work i

of the branches towards the trunk, and is just as much at home o limb as the upper. Its movements are like those of a mouse rathe

than of a bird, and it often runs head-downward, or hangs on the under side of a branch an hammers away at the bark with its powerful little bill. The noise produced by one of thes birds, when tapping at a tree, is really astonishing for a bird of its size, and, if undisturbed it can be approached pretty closely. Its general food consists of insects, and in the winter th nuthatches join the wandering parties of tits and creepers which traverse the woods in scare of food. ... In the autumn it feeds on hazel-nuts and beech-mast, breaking them open b constant hammering; and, like the tits, the nuthatches can be tempted to the vicinity o houses in winter, and become quite interesting by their tameness."

The nuthatch nests in hollow trees, plastering up the entrance with mud, and leaving a aperture only just sufficient to enable it to wriggle in and out. A remarkable nest may b seen at the British Natural History Museum. It was built in the side of a haystack, to whic the industrious birds had carried as much as 1 1 Ibs. of clay, and had thus made for themselve a solid nest in an apparently unfavourable position.

fh»t» */ A. S. Rudland &> Stnl

YOUNG SKYLARKS

Se-vtra! broods are reared by each pair of birds in a season

way down from one the under side of a

LARKS, TITMICE, HONEY-EATERS, THEIR KINDRED 529

fhott by J. T. iiiwman

The TITMICE occur in one form or another all over Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in the New World as far south as Southern Mexico. The family may be divided intoTRUE.CRESTED, LONG-TAILED, and PENDULINETITS and REED- LINGS, all but the penduline tits being repre- sented in England.

Of the true tits, the best known is the BLUE TIT, which is no stranger even in London parks. Traveling in small bands throughout the autumn and winter, they may frequently be met with during a country walk, their presence being made known by a pretty tink- ling little note. This method of traveling is obviously advantageous, for the discovery of food at this time is an arduous task, and, if undertaken individually, many would surely starve, as Professor Newton points out : " A single titmouse searching alone might hunt for a whole day without meeting with a sufficiency, whilst, if a dozen are united by the same motive, it is hardly possible for the place in which the food is lodged to escape their detection, and, when discovered, a few call-notes from the lucky finder are enough to assemble the whole company to share the feast. . . . One tree after another is visited by the active little rovers, and its branches examined : if nothing be forthcoming,

away goes the explorer to the next that presents itself, merely giving utterance to the usual twitter that serves to keep the wrhole body together. But if the object of search be found, another chirp is emitted, and the next moment several members of the band are flitting in succession to the tree, and eagerly engaged with the spoil."

These little birds display great affection for their old nesting-places. An instance is on record where, so far back as 1785, a pair built their nest in a large earthenware bottle placed in the branches of a tree in a garden at Oxbridge, near Stockton-on-Tees. With two exceptions only, this bottle was tenanted by a pair of these birds every year till 1873. In 1892 Professor Newton, who had this account from Canon Tristram, was informed that the occupancy had ceased for four years.

The LONG-TAILED or BOTTLE-TIT is a British species, deriving its name from the long tail. It is a pretty little bird, black and rose-colour above, with a rose-coloured abdomen, and the head, throat, and breast white. It enjoys the distinction of being one of the smallest British birds, and is found in woods and