Part 21

The DWARF OWL SWALLOWS (_Ægotheles_), found exclusively in New Holland, are recognisable by their long but powerful body, nearly round head, short, rounded wing (in which the second quill exceeds the rest in length), long, rounded tail, and comparatively high and bare tarsi; the toes are of equal length and unconnected; the beak is thick, broad, and compressed at its base, but becomes suddenly narrow towards its extremity, and terminates in a flat hook; the lower mandible is furnished with a hollow rim that encloses the curved tip of the upper part of the beak. The plumage is soft in texture, except around the beak and in the region of the eyes and brows, these parts being covered with a bristle-like growth.

THE TRUE DWARF OWL SWALLOW.

The TRUE DWARF OWL SWALLOW (_Ægotheles Novæ Hollandiæ_) is about nine inches and a quarter long, and above twelve in breadth. The upper part of the body is dark brown, streaked with white; the entire under surface, a spot near the eye, and two sickle-shaped lines, the one on the neck and the other at the back of the head, are grey, dotted with black and reddish yellow; the anterior quills are brown, spotted with light brown and grey on the inner web; the tail is dark brown, regularly striped with grey, and dotted with black; the iris is nut-brown; the feet of a pink flesh-colour. The sexes are alike in size, and similarly tinted, but the plumage of the young is darker than that of the adult bird. Gould tells us that this species lives and breeds in all woodland districts throughout Southern Australia and Tasmania, and that it also frequents the shrubs and bushes upon the coast. Its flight is direct and slow, and, when perched, its attitudes resemble those of an Owl; like that bird, if disturbed, it turns its head rapidly in all directions, and emits a low, hissing sound. The Dwarf Owl Swallow breeds twice in the year, and deposits its four or five round pure white eggs in the hollows of trees. One strange habit possessed by this bird renders the discovery of its retreat very easy; for no sooner is any unusual sound made in the vicinity of its hole than the active little occupant at once scrambles up to the entrance, and putting out its head, peers around to discover the cause of the disturbance. Should danger seem imminent it at once takes flight, and seeks safety elsewhere; but should nothing alarming be in view, it quietly returns to the bottom of its abode, until again roused by some voice from the outer world.

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The GIANT OWL SWALLOWS (_Podargus_) are birds of considerable size, with large flat heads, moderately large wings, in which the first quill exceeds the rest in length, long rounded tails, and short tarsi, furnished with a foot of moderate size, the two innermost toes connected by a fold of skin. The beak is hard, powerful, much broader than it is high, slightly curved at the roof of the upper mandible, and very decidedly hooked at its tip, which fits into a corresponding groove in the lower portion of the beak; the gape extends as far as the hindermost corner of the eye. The plumage is soft, and resembles that of the Owl. The beak has but a sparse growth of bristles.

THE GIANT OWL SWALLOW.

The GIANT OWL SWALLOW (_Podargus humeralis_) is a bird about the size of a Crow. The upper part of the body is brown marked with greyish white and dark brown, the top of the head being streaked with blackish brown, and spotted with white. The quills are brownish black, marked with rows of spots upon the outer, and striped upon the inner web; the beak is light brown shaded with purple; the feet and eyes are yellowish brown. The many varieties of this species resemble each other both in appearance and habits.

"Like the rest of the genus, the _Podargus humeralis_ is strictly nocturnal, sleeping throughout the day on the dead branch of a tree, in an upright position, across and never parallel to the branch, and which it so closely resembles as scarcely to be distinguishable from it. I have occasionally seen it beneath the thick foliage of the Casuarinæ; and I have been informed that it sometimes shelters itself in the hollow trunks of the Eucalypti, but I could never detect one in such a situation. I mostly found them in pairs, perched near each other on the branches of the Gums, in places not at all sheltered from the beams of the mid-day sun."--GOULD.

The sleep of the Giant Owl Swallow is so profound that one of a pair may be shot from a branch without the mate that is sleeping at its side being roused, and the heavy sluggard may be pelted with stones, or struck with a stick, without being awakened from its slumbers. Should it at last be roused to consciousness, it scarcely exhibits animation sufficient to prevent it from falling to the ground, as it slowly flutters, in a semi-torpid state, to the nearest tree, when it at once perches, and falls into a sleep as heavy as that from which it has just been disturbed. No sooner, however, has night set in, than the previously drowsy stupid bird becomes a new creature, and after carefully preening its plumage, at once proceeds to run actively and briskly up and down the branches of trees in search of Grasshoppers; it also extracts larvæ from under the bark, after the manner of Woodpeckers, or dives down holes and fissures to find any delicate morsels that may be concealed within. Its flight is not particularly good, owing to the shortness of it wings, but it passes with considerable rapidity from tree to tree, and occasionally amuses itself by a variety of manoeuvres in the air. Gould is of opinion that this species lives entirely upon insects, but Verreaux affirms that it frequents morasses during winter, when food is scarce, and consumes snails or other inhabitants of the water, and that in the breeding season it will attack young birds, kill them by repeatedly striking them against the stem of the tree, and then devour them. The pursuit of prey is carried on late in the evening, and again just before dawn, the intermediate hours being devoted to the process of digestion, combined with heavy sleep. The breeding season commences about July, and is ushered in by repeated battles between the males, whose loud voices become louder and more dissonant as they dispute possession of a female, or exert themselves to please her with their vocal efforts. Both parents co-operate in building their small, flat nest, which is most carelessly constructed of fine twigs lined with grass and feathers, and is usually placed in a forked branch at about five or six feet from the ground. The eggs are from two to four in number, their shape is elongate, and their colour pure white, so that they are often distinctly visible through the thin walls of their slightly constructed abode. Both parents assist in their incubation, the father sitting upon them during the night, and seeking food during the day, whilst the female takes her place upon the nest in his absence. Should the sun's rays prove too powerful for the young, they are carried to a shady nook or hole until mid-day is passed. By November they are fully fledged, but remain for some time longer under parental care and tuition. Gould and Verreaux both inform us that if the season be unusually cold, it is not uncommon for the Giant Owl Swallow to remain for a time in a hole, or on a branch, in a state of complete torpidity. Such of these birds as we have seen caged in Europe were extremely tame, and would not only eat from the hand, but allowed themselves to be carried about the room without any sign of fear.

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The FROG-MOUTHS (_Batrachostomus_) constitute a group of comparatively small birds, inhabiting India and its neighbouring islands. Though smaller than the Giant Owl Swallow, they have a still larger beak, which is very broad and flat at its base, slightly arched at its tip, and terminates in a hook; the upper mandible projects over the lower one in all directions; the nostrils are small and covered with feathers, and the wings abruptly rounded; the tail is long, and is either graduated, or has the outer feathers very short; the tarsi and feet are small but strong, the toes powerful and very flexible.

THE PLUMED FROG-MOUTH.

The PLUMED FROG-MOUTH (_Batrachostomus cornutus_ or _B. Javanensis_) is an inhabitant of Java, and distinguished from its congeners, not only by the remarkable arrangement of the head-feathers, but by the beauty of its plumage. In this bird the region of the ears and brow is covered with a plume of long, ragged feathers, which hangs down over the eyes and makes the head appear of a size very disproportionate to the rest of the body. The plumage on the back is light rust-red, marked with fine zig-zag black lines, the nape being adorned with a white crescent-shaped patch; the shoulder-feathers are tipped with white spots thrown into relief by an ornamented semicircular line of black at their tips; the brow is marked with reddish yellow spots. The centre of the throat and upper part of the breast and belly are white, partially marked with zig-zag lines; the lower breast is rust-red, spotted with black and white; the tail is light reddish yellow, striped seven or eight times with a deeper shade, and streaked with black; the quills are similarly decorated. The eye is sulphur-yellow, the feet brown, and the beak pale yellow. This extraordinary looking bird chiefly inhabits the thickets of allangallany palm-trees that abound in Java at about 3,000 feet above the level of the sea. Bernstein, who was the first to give us any account of it, says nothing as to its life or habits, but has given us a description of the nest. This delicate little structure, which is formed almost entirely of down from the body of the bird, is placed in a hole within the stem of the palm, and is so small as to render it impossible for the parent to sit in it whilst engaged in the process of incubation. The female is therefore compelled to lie along the stem that encloses her snug cradle, and whilst holding firmly on with her feet, presses her breast against the opening of the nest, and thus imparts warmth to her young. The one egg found by Bernstein was oval in shape and of a dull white, streaked and spotted with brownish red; these markings were most thickly strewn over the broad end, where they formed a kind of wreath.

Another very similar species (_B. auritus_) has the face ornamented with a pair of large tufts of light feathers that project horizontally, giving the bird a very singular and grotesque appearance.

THE SINGING BIRDS (_Oscines_).

Under this name we class numerous families, all of which are more or less distinguished for the perfection of their vocal apparatus. In appearance the members of this order are for the most part pleasing and elegant, and their disposition usually attractive and engaging. Their body is long, the neck short, and their head comparatively large; the beak, though differing much as to its formation, is almost invariably small, straight, or only very slightly curved, and the upper mandible is generally more or less incised; the tarsi are covered with horny plates, the toes long, and the claws large and sharp; the wings, invariably of moderate size, are formed of ten quills, the first of these being usually much stunted or not at all developed; the tail is by no means large, and composed of twelve feathers. The plumage, which is soft, thick, and occasionally downy in texture, is simple and uniform in its coloration; some few species, however, are brilliantly ornamented. The young at first differ considerably in appearance from the adult birds, and both young and old moult their feathers once within the year. All the members of this extensive order are active, intelligent, and extremely restless; their flight is light and rapid, and their movements amongst the branches or upon the ground are distinguished by extraordinary agility. In all, the sight and hearing are very perfect. They live chiefly upon insects and seeds of various kinds, but some few species will kill and devour small birds or similar prey. Every part of the world is enlivened by the presence of these delightful warblers, whose cheerful voices are heard even in the most dreary and desolate regions, on burning, sandy plains, as well as upon the ice-bound shores of arctic regions. Such as inhabit tropical climates do not migrate; but those within the temperate zones, as winter approaches, remove towards the south, seeing that their native lands at that season do not afford them a sufficient supply of food. Very great variety is observable in the construction of the nests built by different species of singing birds, many exhibiting wonderful skill, and in some cases actually _sewing_ together the materials they employ, with their sharp beaks, whilst others are contented to drag a few leaves into a hole and thereon deposit their brood. The eggs, sometimes five or six in number, are hatched by the agency of both parents, who also assist each other in procuring food for the young progeny. The latter grow with great rapidity, and are capable of providing for a family of their own after the first year.

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The TOOTH-BEAKED SINGING BIRDS (_Dentirostres_) constitute a large tribe, the members of which are at once recognisable by a notch or tooth at the extremity of the upper mandible.

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The SHRIKES (_Lanii_) are a very numerous and well-known group, equally common in all parts of the world. In these birds the body is powerful and the breast prominent; their neck is strong, the head comparatively large and round, the wings broad and rounded, the third or fourth quill far exceeding the rest in length, while their tail is long and graduated. The beak is powerful, compressed at its sides, and terminates in a strong hook, near which the upper mandible has a very perceptible tooth-like appendage. The feet are large and robust, the toes long, and armed with sharp claws; the plumage is rich, thick, and lax, and its coloration pleasing and varied.

Woods surrounded by meadows or pasture lands are the favourite resorts of these birds; but they are also constantly found dwelling in hedges, among brushwood, or upon solitary trees. Such species as frequent northern latitudes migrate regularly during the autumn, and find their way, in pursuit of food, even to Central Africa. In their habits they closely resemble some of the birds of prey, and their movements bear considerable similarity to those of the Raven family. Although by no means conspicuously endowed in most respects, the voice in some species is highly developed, and all seem capable of improving their natural powers of song, by imitating the sounds produced by other birds. Their flight is irregular, and their step upon the ground a mere series of hops; but, despite these deficiencies, they display great dexterity in securing their prey, even should it equal themselves in size; and are exceeded by no other members of the feathered creation in rapacity and the cruelty which they display towards their victims. They devour insects in large quantities, but by no means rely solely upon them for food, for they destroy great numbers of Sparrows and other small birds; and their attacks are all the more dangerous as they are entirely unsuspected. It is not uncommon to see a large party of little birds quietly perched around a Shrike, and evidently regarding it as a friendly companion, whilst in reality the treacherous intruder is merely watching for a favourable moment to dart upon and kill some member of the group that it has already singled out as its prey. One very remarkable habit, depicted in the engraving on page 145, is highly characteristic of this family; we allude to the practice of spiking their victims upon sharp thorns, from which circumstance they have obtained the well-merited appellation of BUTCHER BIRDS. The nest of the Shrike is artistically constructed of the green portions of plants, and placed in a thick bush or closely-foliaged branch. The brood consists of from four to six eggs, which are hatched by the female alone, whilst her mate undertakes the duty of providing for her nourishment. Both parents assist in feeding the nestlings, and in defending them. The young remain under parental care and instruction for a considerable time after they are fully fledged, sometimes not leaving it until the winter, for the Shrike, if undisturbed, breeds but once in the course of the year.

THE SENTINEL BUTCHER BIRD.

The SENTINEL BUTCHER BIRD, or GREAT GREY SHRIKE (_Lanius Excubitor_), is from nine and a half to ten inches long, and its breadth about fourteen inches; the wing measures four inches and the tail four and a half. Upon the upper part of the body the plumage is of an uniform light grey; the under side is pure white, and a broad black stripe passes across the eyes. The upper half of the large primary quills, as well as the inner webs and tips of the secondaries, are white, their other portions and the rest of the quills being black; the centre tail-feathers are black, but with the exception of a large black spot upon the centre of the inner web of the fifth, and a black streak upon the shaft of the exterior feather, the rest are entirely white. The eye is brown, the beak black, and the foot dark grey; the plumage of the female is less pure in its coloration than that of her mate: the young are recognisable by the wave-like markings upon the breast and other parts of the body. The egg is shown at Fig. 3, Coloured Plate XVI.

This species of Shrike is found in almost every European country, and throughout a large part of Asia and Northern Africa; it is also very numerous in North America. Everywhere it appears to prefer woodland districts, but is nevertheless constantly met with both in mountain ranges and in marshy plains. Whilst on the alert for prey it may usually be seen upon the topmost branches of a tree, peering eagerly about in all directions, in the hope of detecting any small bird or mouse that may be near, pouncing down and killing it with wonderful dexterity as soon as the proper moment arrives. If the destroyer is hungry the prey is at once dragged away and devoured; but should this not be the case, the body is impaled upon a thorn, and left for a future meal. Even when tame it continues this habit, and has been known to make constant use of a spike driven into a wall for that purpose by its owner.

"We have seen," says one writer, "the New Holland Butcher Bird (_Vanga destructor_) act in this manner when in captivity, and after strangling a mouse or crushing its skull, double it through the wires of its cage, and, with every demonstration of savage triumph, tear it limb from limb and devour it. The bird to which we allude had the talent of imitation in great perfection, and had learnt to sing several bars of airs, with a full-toned musical voice. It executed the first part of 'Over the Water to Charlie' with a spirit that would have gone to the heart of an old Jacobite." The term _Excubitor_ or Sentinel was given to the Butcher Bird by Linnæus, from its vigilance in watching against Hawks and other birds of that tribe, whose approach it is ever the first to perceive, uttering at the same time a querulous chattering, indicative, no doubt, of fear and dislike; hence on the Continent it is used by persons engaged in the capture of the Peregrine Falcon.

The flight of this Shrike is slow and undulating, and can rarely be sustained for more than a few minutes at a time; even when merely passing from one tree to another the bird moves in undulating lines, keeping near the ground, and rapidly agitating both its wings and tail. Its sight is excellent, and its sense of hearing so delicate as at once to detect the slightest sound. In disposition it is bold, courageous, and very quarrelsome; during the breeding season it lives peaceably with its mate, but after that period each individual provides only for itself, and carries on an incessant warfare, not only with other birds, but with its own race. The notes of the Excubitor vary considerably at different times of the year; in the spring both sexes possess an actual song, which seems to reproduce the sounds uttered by all their feathered companions. The period of incubation commences in April, and both parents assist in the formation of the nest, which is artistically constructed of twigs, straws, and grass, its round interior being lined with wool, hay, and hair. The eggs, from four to seven in number, are greenish grey, spotted with brown or dark grey, and are hatched in about a fortnight. The nestlings are fed at first upon beetles, grasshoppers, and other insects, but at a later period on small birds and mice. Both parents defend the little family with the utmost courage, and continue their care and instructions until the season for migration. When aged, this species of Shrike soon becomes very tame, and easily learns to obey and recognise its master. In former times it was trained for the chase.

THE SOUTHERN SHRIKE.

The SOUTHERN SHRIKE (_Lanius meridionalis_) is very similar to, but more beautiful than the species above described, and is found throughout Southern Europe and North-western Africa; the male is about ten inches long and thirteen broad; the wing measures more than four inches, and the tail four and three-quarters; the female is half an inch smaller than her mate. The plumage is deep grey upon the upper part of the body, and white beneath, the breast being shaded with a rich red; the four centre tail-feathers are black, the eye is brown, the upper mandible dark, and the lower one light blue; the foot is black.

This bird is, we believe, the only Shrike that remains throughout the year in Spain; it arrives in Greece about April, and leaves again in the end of August. Its habits do not differ from those of its congeners already alluded to. The nest, which is usually placed at the summit of an olive-tree, is formed of green stalks, woven together, and lined with sheep's wool and goats' hair; the eggs, four or six in number, are of a dirty white or reddish white, thickly strewn with brown, grey, or red spots of various sizes. These eggs are regarded as such dainties in Spain, that men will often risk their lives in procuring them for the market.

THE GREY, OR BLACK-BROWED SHRIKE.