Part 12

This elegant little bird is very numerous in Central Africa, where it is usually met with in large parties, which rarely fly to any distance above the tree-tops in pursuit of their insect fare, and seize their prey more after the manner of the Flycatchers than of the Swallows. According to our own observations, these birds appear to remain for months together in the vicinity of their settlements of nests. During the Christmas of 1850, whilst anchored in the Blue River, we found at least sixty of the holes employed as nests by this species excavated in a clay bank on the shore; the whole number occupying a space not exceeding thirty-six square feet, and so close together that the entrances were not more than five or six inches apart. The passages to the nest-holes were about an inch and a half in diameter, and from three to four feet deep, terminating in a chamber from six to eight inches long, by four or six broad, and two and a half to three inches high. We found neither building materials nor eggs in these holes, although the birds were constantly creeping in and out of them.

THE SWALLOW BEE-EATER.

The SWALLOW BEE-EATER (_Melittophagus hirundinaceus_), another species inhabiting Africa, differs from the birds above described in the formation of its very deeply forked tail. The mantle is glossy yellowish green, the lower part of the back and tail being of a somewhat deeper shade; the under side is light green; the throat saffron yellow, and divided from the breast by a line of rich ultramarine blue; the vent and a line that passes from the nostrils over the eyes are deep blue; the cheek-stripes are black. The body of this species is eight inches and a quarter long; the wing measures three inches and a half, and the tail four inches and one-sixth. Le Vaillant, who discovered this beautiful bird in Southern Africa, tells us that it lives in pairs till after the period of incubation, when old and young associate in small parties, previous to the season of migration; they then assemble in very large flocks. The nest resembles those of other Bee-eaters. The eggs, six or seven in number, have a blueish-white shell. We also learn from Vaillant that this brilliant creature exhales a very agreeable odour, resembling the perfume of a fragrant flower.

THE AUSTRALIAN BEE-EATER.

The AUSTRALIAN BEE-EATER (_Cosmäerops ornatus_) has the back, a line over the eye, and the wing-coverts brownish green; the crown of the head and the nape orange; the wings orange-brown, shading into green at the extremity of the primaries, and tipped with black; the lower part of the back, the rump, and upper tail-covers are cerulean blue, and the tail black, most of its feathers edged with blue; the bridle and a line beneath and behind the eye and ear-coverts are velvety black, beneath this is a line of light blue; the throat is rich yellow, shading into orange at its sides; below the yellow is a broad band of deep black, passing into green on the lower part of the belly; the under tail-coverts are light blue; the eye is brownish red, the beak black, and the leg and foot mealy greenish grey.

The Australian Bee-eater, according to Gould, arrives in New South Wales in August, and departs north in March, during which interval it breeds and rears its young. "Its favourite resorts," says Gould, "are the open, arid, and thinly-timbered forests during the day, and in the evening the banks and sides of rivers, where numbers may be frequently seen in company. It almost invariably selects a dead or leafless branch whereon to perch, and from which it darts forth to capture passing insects, after the manner of the Kingfishers, to which it also assimilates in the upright position it assumes while perched. Its flight somewhat resembles that of the Artami; and though it is capable of being sustained for a lengthened time, the bird more frequently prefers short excursions, and returns to the branch it left. The entrance to the breeding-hole, which is made in the sandy banks of a river, is about the size of a mouse's hole, and continued for a yard in depth. At the end is an excavation of sufficient size for the reception of the parent and the deposition on the sand of four or five beautiful white eggs. The food of this species consists of various insects, principally coleoptera and neuroptera."

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The NOCTURNAL BEE-EATERS (_Nyctiornis_), a group of Indian Bee-eaters, are recognisable by their strong, curved, and moderately-long beak, almost straight and medium-sized wing, in which the fourth quill exceeds the rest in length. The rich, soft plumage takes the form of very peculiar stiff feathers in the region of the throat and breast.

THE SANGROK.

The SANGROK (_Nyctiornis Athertonii_) is bright green on the mantle, and of a creamy yellow on the under side; the feathers on the crown of the head and chin, and the edges of the dark blueish green neck-feathers are light blueish green; the eye is deep yellow; the beak lead grey, tipped with black; and the feet deep green. This bird is fourteen inches long, and eighteen broad; the wing measures five inches and a half, and the tail six inches.

We learn from Hodgson and Jerdon that the Sangrok occupies the extensive forests of India to an altitude of three or four thousand feet above the sea, and that it leads a solitary life among the trees, from and around the branches of which it obtains the bees, wasps, beetles, and grasshoppers that constitute its principal food. The cry of this species is loud and harsh. According to the natives its eggs are deposited in holes of trees.

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The ROLLERS (_Coracii_) are a race of tolerably large birds, for the most part remarkable on account of the variety of their colours, and the splendour of their plumage. All of them belong to the Eastern Hemisphere. As the leading features whereby this group is distinguished, we may enumerate their moderate-sized, or moderately long beak, which is strong and nearly straight, somewhat broad at its base, but compressed towards the tip, sharp-cutting at the edges, and bent down at the point; the legs are short and feeble, and the toes short. The wings are of moderate length, or long and tolerably broad. The tail is of medium length, sometimes truncate at its extremity, sometimes slightly rounded, and sometimes forked; occasionally, moreover, the two outer feathers are much longer than the rest. The plumage is somewhat harsh and rough, and the shafts of the feathers stiff. The predominant colours are green, blue, cinnamon-brown, and claret-red. The sexes differ but little, and the young very much resemble their parents.

These birds generally inhabit dry, flat country, and are met with extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa, but are scarce in Australia. Their usual residence is some solitary tree or high rock from which they can command an extensive field of vision, and in the holes and clefts of which they can build their nests. In such places they may generally be seen on the look-out for insects, which they catch and devour much in the same way as the Bee-eaters; at times they will dart down upon some poor mouse that happens to approach them too nearly, and occasionally they will snap up a lizard or other small game of that description, and will plunder a bird's nest in order to devour the young; but although they thus generally live on animal food, at certain seasons they have no objection to a vegetable diet, and will eat fruit. The flesh of some species is palatable, and they are consequently much sought after in some countries, either as food or on account of the beauty of their feathers.

THE BLUE ROLLER.

The BLUE ROLLER (_Coracias garrulus_), a species exhibiting the principal characteristics of the above family, has a strong, straight beak of moderate size, broad at its base, slightly curved at the culmen, and hooked at its tip; the tarsus is shorter than the middle toe, the second wing-quill is longer than the rest, and the tail straight at its extremity. A brilliant metallic green predominates in the magnificently-coloured plumage; the back is bright cinnamon-brown, the brow and chin are whitish, the quills are indigo blue above and ultramarine blue beneath, the feathers on the small wing-covers and wings are deep bright blue, the exterior tail-feathers light blue, the rest blueish black, with a light blue outer web. The centre feathers are blueish or greyish green. The eye is brown, the beak black, and the foot dirty yellow. The young are greyish green on the top of the head, nape, and under side, and dull cinnamon-brown on the back; their tail is light blueish green. This species is from twelve to thirteen inches long, and from twenty-seven to twenty-eight broad; the wing measures seven inches and three-quarters, and the tail five inches.

The Blue Roller inhabits the whole of Europe as far north as Scandinavia, and visits the northern half of the continent of Africa, as also many parts of India during its migrations. In our own country it seems studiously to avoid the vicinity of man; but in more southern regions it is less shy, and consequently more easily made the subject of observation. In its disposition it is exceedingly restless and flighty, and when not restricted, as it is during the brooding season, to a particular locality, it may be seen flying all over the district, sweeping all day long from one tree to another, or perching upon the extremity of some withered bough, or peering out from the very top of a dead tree watching for the approach of prey. In cloudy weather it seems morose and inactive; but during the sunshine it may be seen disporting itself in the air as though in play, ranging round and round, and performing a variety of strange evolutions. Sometimes, for example, it will rise to a considerable height, and then suddenly tumble head over heels down towards the ground, whence it again mounts with toilsome efforts, or, with pigeon-like flight, urges itself forward by rapidly-repeated strokes of its wings, and as it thus moves about with apparently aimless haste, presents a peculiarity of manner that there is no possibility of mistaking. When in a tree, it does not hop about among the branches, but conducts itself in the same way as many other tenuirostral species, always assisting its movements from one bough to another by the help of its wings. It can scarcely be said ever to come upon the ground, but sometimes flies so close to the earth that it might easily be supposed to be running over its surface. Unlike the Bee-eaters, these birds are very quarrelsome and unsociable, biting at any intruder, even of their own species, and quite incapable of living peaceably with any other kind. Their voice corresponds well with their German name of _Rake_, consisting of a loud, rattling repetition of "raker, raker, raker"--a cry occasionally exchanged for "rak, rak, jack."

These birds live principally upon insects, all sorts of which they greedily devour; sometimes they will have no objection to a mouse, or a bird, a lizard, a frog, or any other small animal. It is a very common opinion that the Blue Roller can dispense with water altogether, that it neither drinks it nor uses it for a bath; and truly any one who has seen it, as we have done, in the midst of the arid plains in which it seems to be most at home, will scarcely feel inclined to doubt the possibility of the statement being well founded.

The usual nesting-place of this Roller is in some hollow tree, and its nest is usually constructed of roots and straw, lined with hair and feathers; in the south of Europe it not unfrequently builds in rifts and chinks in old walls, or even excavates for itself a hole in the ground, much in the same way as the Bee-eaters. The brood consists of from four to six white and polished eggs. Both sexes co-operate in the work of incubation, and so assiduously do they maintain their post when sitting, that they may be sometimes caught with the hand while upon the nest. The young are fed upon insects and grubs. They soon learn to fly, but remain with their parents, and accompany them in their winter migrations.

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The DOLLAR BIRDS (_Eurystomus_) are recognisable by their short, flat beak, which is broad at its sides, rounded at the culmen, and very decidedly hooked; the second wing-quill is the longest; the tail is either short and straight or slightly rounded; the structure of the foot and coloration of the plumage resemble that of the group above described.

THE AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR BIRD.

The AUSTRALIAN DOLLAR BIRD (_Eurystomus Australis_, or _Pacificus_) is of a deep brown on the head and neck, the rest of the mantle being sea-green; the region of the cheek is black; the feathers on the throat a bright green; the secondary quills, roots of the outer web of the primaries, and the outer web of the roots of the tail-feathers, are bright blue; and there is a blueish-white spot on the centre of the wing. The eye is dark brown; the eyelids, beak, and legs are red. The length of this species is ten inches; the wing measures six inches and three-quarters, and the tail three inches and a half.

According to Gould, the Dollar Bird appears in New South Wales in the spring, and again retires north as soon as the young are fully grown. On dull days, or at early morning, and in the evening, it is to be seen most actively employed in pursuit of the beetles and other insects on which it subsists.

"When engaged in the capture of insects," says Gould, "it usually perches upon the dead, upright branch of a tree growing beside and overhanging water, where it sits very erect, staring all around until a passing insect attracts its notice, when it suddenly darts off, secures its victim, and returns to the same branch; at other times it may constantly be seen on the wing, mostly in pairs, flying just above the tops of the trees, diving and rising again with rapid turns in the most beautiful manner. During flight, which, when performed at a considerable elevation, is laboured and heavy, the white spot in the centre of each wing, then widely expanded, shows very distinctly; and hence the name of Dollar Bird bestowed on it by the colonists. It is very noisy, particularly in dull weather, when it often emits its peculiar chattering note during flight. The breeding season continues from September to December; the three or four pearl-white eggs are deposited in a tree."

THE ORIENTAL DOLLAR BIRD.

The ORIENTAL DOLLAR BIRD (_Eurystomus Orientalis_), a nearly-allied Indian species, we are told, passes a great portion of its time in flying from place to place, and hangs, Woodpecker-like, from the trunks of trees whilst in search of the grubs and insects on which it subsists.

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The SAW-BILL ROLLERS (_Prionites_), though in many respects resembling the Blue Rollers, differ from that bird in their superior length of tail and height of tarsus, as well as in the saw-like edges with which the margin of the beak is furnished; the latter is slightly curved, compressed at its sides, and without a hook at its tip; the base of the beak is overgrown with stiff, bristle-like feathers. The wings, in which the fourth or fifth quills are the longest, are short and rounded; the strong, wedge-shaped tail is composed sometimes of ten, sometimes of twelve feathers, placed in pairs of equal length, of which the centre pair are the longest. The plumage is full, soft, and consists of large feathers, thickly covered with down at the roots.

The Saw-bill Rollers occupy the woods and forests of South America, and lead a retired life, either alone or in pairs, and far from the abode of man; their cry, which resembles a note from a flute, is most frequently heard in the morning and evening. Insects afford their principal means of subsistence, and these they obtain in a great measure from the surface of the ground.

THE MOT-MOT.

The MOT-MOT (_Prionites momota_) is of an olive-green on the back, wing-covers, and legs; the neck, throat, breast, and belly are reddish yellow; the top of the head, cheeks, and bridles black; and the brow and a narrow collar at the back of the head of a brilliant blueish green; the quills are blackish, the secondaries sky-blue on the outer web. The tail, which is composed of twelve feathers, is green above and black beneath; the eye is reddish brown, the beak black, and the foot horn-grey. This species is nineteen inches long; the wing measures six and a half inches, and the tail eleven inches.

According to Burmeister, the Mot-mot inhabits the wooded districts in Northern Brazil; and Schomburghk, who found them very numerous in Guiana, had there an opportunity of observing their habits and mode of life. "Shortly before sunrise," says the last-named writer, "the plaintive and melancholy 'hutu, hutu' of the Saw-billed Roller may be heard among the foliage on the outskirts of the forest, announcing the approach of morning. This remarkable bird seems to avoid all well-lighted places; and, although by no means shy, never appears beyond the outskirts of the forest. It will even allow an intruder to come quite close to its perching-place before it flies off to another twig, where, immediately that it has perched itself, it again begins its well-known notes 'hutu, hutu,' accompanying each syllable with a stroke of its tail somewhat after the manner of our own Wagtail."

When about to construct its nest, the Mot-mot selects a round or oval depression in the side of some hillock, or other elevated spot; and although the male and female regularly relieve each other at short intervals, the monotonous duty of incubation seems by no means agreeable to either; so that after sitting for three or four minutes quietly upon the eggs they begin to turn themselves round, and it is supposed to be by the constant repetition of this movement in a circle that the feathers of their tail become in time quite spoiled and worn away. As to their eggs, Schomburghk gives us no information whatever, nor do we find anything recorded concerning them in the works of other naturalists.

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The BROAD-THROATS (_Eurylaimus_) are small, compact birds, with short, broad beaks, powerful feet, moderate-sized wings, and short or rather long tail. The beak, which is shorter than the head, is broad at its base, slender at the tip, and hooked at its extremity; the gape extends as far as the eyes; the moderate-sized foot has the tarsus a trifle longer than the centre toe, which latter is united with the inner as far as the first joint; the wing, in which the third or fourth quill is the longest, is short and rounded; the tail is usually either rounded or graduated; in some species, however, it is slightly incised; the plumage is of brilliant hues, and the sexes almost alike in colour and markings. These birds inhabit India and the Malay Islands, where they haunt the innermost recesses of deep, dark forests, and carefully avoid the habitations of man.

THE SUMATRAN TROWEL-BEAK.

The SUMATRAN TROWEL-BEAK (_Corydon Sumatranus_), a species of the above family inhabiting Sumatra and Borneo, represents a group recognisable by their compact and falcon-like body; short, broad beak, the upper mandible of which almost entirely encloses the lower one; and also by their bare, short, strong feet, armed with long toes; short rounded wings, in which the third or fourth quill exceeds the rest in length; and moderate-sized tail, formed of twelve rounded feathers. The dusky plumage, which is soft and thick, is replaced in the region of the beak by a few short bristles; its colour is principally of a pale black; the entire throat pale brownish yellow; the centre of the back bright red; the wings are black, with a few white spots; the tail-feathers pale black, the centre pair of uniform hue, the rest marked with white towards the tip. The eye is brown, the beak and a bare place round the eye are bright red; the foot is blackish brown. This species is nine inches and a half long; the wing measures four, and the tail three inches and a half; the beak is one inch long, and one inch and a quarter broad at its base. We are entirely without particulars as to the life and habits of this bird, except that it frequents moist and shady woods in the vicinity of water, and associates in small parties.

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The TRUE BROAD-THROATS (_Eurylaimus_) are recognisable from the above group by the formation of their beak, which is longer and flatter than that of the last-mentioned species.

THE JAVA BROAD-THROAT.

The JAVA BROAD-THROAT (_Eurylaimus Javanicus_) is blackish brown on the upper back, lemon-yellow on its lower portion, and greyish crimson on the under side; a stripe between the shoulders, another on the shoulder-covers, and several patches on the outer webs of the quills are lemon-yellow; the tip of the tail is enlivened by a white line; the beak is glossy black, except at the culmen and margins, which are greyish white; the first is yellowish brown. This bird is eight inches and a half long; the wing measures three inches and five-sixths, and the tail two inches and one-third.

According to Raffles, the Java Broad-throat frequents the banks of rivers and the vicinity of water, in search of worms and insects. It makes its nest on a branch overhanging the surface of the water. Helfer informs us that a very similar species occupies the tree-tops in flocks of from thirty to forty birds; and that they are either so fearless or so stupid as to remain on their perch regardless of the shots that are laying their companions dead.

THE RAYA.

The RAYA (_Psarisomus Dalhousiæ_), a representative of the above birds, is recognisable by its moderate-sized, broad beak, which is decidedly curved at its culmen and hooked at its tip. The short wing is slightly rounded, the tail long and graduated, and the plumage brightly tinted; the mantle is bright blue; the top of the head, except a small blue spot, quite black; the brow, cheek-stripes, a small tuft near the ear, the throat, and a narrow band at the nape are saffron-yellow; the entire under side is of a parrot green; the blackish-brown quills have a blue outer web; the tail-feathers are blue above and glossy blackish brown beneath; the eyes brown, and beak green, with a black culmen; the foot is dusky greenish yellow. The length of this species is fourteen inches; the wing measures four inches, and the tail five inches and a half.

This beautiful bird inhabits India, and, as Jerdon tells us, is met with in the forests of the Himalayas to a height of 6,000 feet above the sea; those he found were engaged in seeking their insect prey upon the trees, either alone or in pairs. The nest, according to the same author, is a large structure, loosely framed of grass and moss. The eggs, two in number, have a white shell.

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