Part 4

According to our own observations these beautiful birds principally inhabit the forests of North-eastern Africa, and are usually met with hopping or climbing incessantly from tree to tree, or bough to bough, in parties of from four to ten. These parties exhibit extraordinary unanimity in their manner of proceeding, and in all their movements seem to be playing an active game of follow-my-leader. Should one member of the little society suspend itself from a branch, all the rest immediately do the same; and even when uttering their cry as they rise into the air, the sounds are often so simultaneous that it is almost impossible to distinguish the individual voices. Ants and, according to some authorities, various kinds of insects, constitute their principal food. Few birds exhibit such strong attachment to their companions as we have frequently observed amongst groups of Tree Hoopoes; it is not uncommon for them to remain close together as though for mutual defence until repeated shots from the hunter's gun have brought one of the party to the ground, when the rest come rushing down, flapping their wings and uttering loud cries as they settle on the branches depending over the spot on which the victim lies. Despite the shortness of their legs, they run over the ground with tolerable ease. Their flight alternates between a gentle gliding motion and a series of rapid strokes with the pinions. Le Vaillant tells us that the female deposits her bluish green eggs, from four to six in number, at the bottom of a hole in a tree, and is assisted in the labour of incubation by her mate.

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The TREE-CLIMBERS (_Anabata_) constitute a family of South American birds, with slender bodies, short wings, and long tails. Their straight or but slightly curved beak is strong, and of the same length as the head. The tarsi are of medium height; the toes small, armed with short and slightly-curved claws. The fourth quill of the wings is the longest. The very decidedly graduated tail is composed of twelve short feathers. All the members of this family inhabit forest or woodland districts, and but rarely venture forth into the open country. Insects form almost exclusively their means of subsistence; and in search of these they climb the branches with an agility fully equalling that of the Titmouse. Many species are remarkable for the peculiarity and loudness of their cry. Their nests, which are usually suspended from the trees, and closed above, are frequently very striking in appearance.

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The BUNDLE-NESTS (_Phacellodomus_) are recognisable by their short, almost straight beak, which is much compressed, and very slightly hooked towards its tip. The tarsi are high and strong; the wings rounded; and the broad tail formed of narrow, soft feathers.

THE RED-FRONTED BUNDLE-NEST, OR CLIMBING THRUSH.

The RED-FRONTED BUNDLE-NEST, or CLIMBING THRUSH (_Phacellodomus rufifrons_), is of a light brownish greenish grey on the upper parts of the body, and light brownish white on the under side. The quills are greyish brown, with a reddish gloss on the outer web; the brow is deep rust-red, and a stripe over the eyes pure white. The eye is grey, the upper mandible dark greyish brown, and the lower one whitish grey. The foot is pale blueish grey. This species measures six inches and a quarter, the wing two inches and a quarter, and the tail two inches and a half.

The Prince von Wied tells us he only met with these elegant little birds upon the arid interior highland tracts of Geroes and Bahia, where they inhabited the open country, and passed their time in hopping or flying from one bush or tree to another. As regards its nidification, the Prince von Wied remarks, "I found the nests of the _Phacellodomus rufifrons_ about February; they were usually suspended on the low, slender branches of high trees. Those I saw are best described as large oval bundles, often more than three feet long, and formed of thin twigs heaped together and interwoven with each other, or fastened together by a variety of materials. The interior was filled with small bundles of moss, hair, wool, or fibres interlaced, so as to form a warm and compact lining. The small round hole that serves as an entrance is situated at the bottom of this suspended mass, so that the birds ascend from below into their huge domicile. Year by year these nests are added to and enlarged until at last it is not uncommon to find that they have so increased in size as to render it a difficult task for a man to stir one of them. On opening a nest of this description a row of chambers is seen, under the one last made." These ancient apartments are, we believe, frequently employed as retiring-rooms for the male parent. Swainson tells us that these strange and shapeless masses are very conspicuous features in the landscape. The brood usually consists of four eggs, which are round in shape, and generally of a pure white.

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The OVEN BIRDS (_Furnarius_) possess a moderately strong beak, either quite straight or slightly curved, compressed at its sides, and almost equalling the head in length; the blunt wing is of medium size, its third quill is the longest, while its first is considerably, and its second slightly shortened; the short tail is composed of soft feathers; the tarsus is high, and the toes strong; the claws are somewhat hooked, but only the first is of any considerable size. These birds frequent both open woodlands and inhabited districts; they live for the most part on the ground, as their powers of flight and climbing are very limited. Their voice is loud, harsh, and peculiar. The strange nests built by the members of this group, and from which their name is derived, have been described by Azara, the Prince von Wied, Burmeister, Darwin, and other writers. "After passing over the lofty chain of mountains that separate the well-wooded coasts of Brazil from the Campos, travellers are astonished at beholding large, melon-shaped masses of clay standing erect upon the branches of the high trees surrounding the settlers' houses. Were it not for the regularity of their size and shape, a stranger would at once pronounce these masses of clay to be nests built by the termite ants. On closer inspection of one of these the eye detects an oval-shaped hole at the side, and a little patience is rewarded by a sight of the actual inhabitant of this most remarkable nest as he slips in and out of the entrance to his strange abode. This bird, known to us as the _Furnarius rufus_, is called the João de Barro, or Clay Jack, by the Brazilians." We learn from Darwin that these nests are also placed in such exposed situations as the top of a post, a bare rock, or on a cactus, and are composed of mud and bits of straw. The strong, thick walls in shape precisely resemble an oven, or a depressed bee-hive. The opening is large, and directly in front; within the nest there is a partition, which reaches nearly to the roof, thus forming a passage or antechamber to the true nest.

THE RED OVEN BIRD.

The RED OVEN BIRD (_Furnarius rufus_) is about seven inches long and ten and a half broad; the wing measures three inches and three-quarters, and the tail three inches. The plumage is principally of a reddish yellow; the top of the head brownish red, and the quills brown; the under side is of a lighter tint, and the throat pale white; a bright reddish yellow stripe passes from the eyes to the back of the head; the quills are grey, the primaries edged with pale yellow towards their base, and the tail-feathers yellowish red; the eyes are yellowish brown, the beak brown, except at the whitish base of the lower mandible; the foot is also brown.

These strange birds live in pairs, and but rarely associate, even in small parties. Their food consists of insects and various kinds of seeds, the former, according to Burmeister, being always obtained from the surface of the ground, over which they run and hop with great facility. Nor are their movements less adroit amongst the branches, from whence their most peculiar cry is constantly to be heard as they disport themselves from bough to bough. These birds are regarded with great respect by the Brazilians, on account of a very strange but prevalent idea that they never proceed with their building operations on the Sabbath, a superstitious fancy that we need hardly say has been frequently disproved, but has no doubt arisen from the unusually short time required by this species to complete its remarkable and elaborate home.

"The nest of the Red Oven Bird," says Burmeister, "is usually constructed upon the branch of a tree, and occasionally upon house-tops, steeples, or similar situations. Both male and female unite in the labour of building, and form their nests of round pellets of mud, working each pellet firmly into place, intermixed with small portions of plants, until the foundation is some eight or nine inches high. On each end of this groundwork the birds proceed to erect a side wall of such a form and height as to give the entire mass the appearance of a half-crescent. When this foundation is quite dry a second wall of similar shape is erected within the first. This again is left to dry, and so the work proceeds until the mass has assumed the proper dome-like form, and is six or seven inches in height, eight or nine inches long, and some four or five inches deep. The interior of this remarkable structure (which sometimes weighs as much as nine pounds) is entered by an oval-shaped hole at the side, and is neatly and warmly lined with hay, cotton, wool, feathers, or similar materials. The eggs, from two to four in number, have a white shell, and are incubated by both parents. The first brood is produced early in September, and a second later in the season."

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The GROUND WOODPECKERS (_Geositta_) are birds with slender bodies, long, pointed wings, and short incised tails; the slightly curved beak is triangular at its base, and nearly equals the head in length; the legs are of medium height, the outer toes short, and the claws small.

THE BURROWING GROUND WOODPECKER.

The BURROWING GROUND WOODPECKER (_Geositta cunicularia_) is of a deep brown on the upper portions of the body and wings; the under side is pale brown, the throat whitish, breast spotted and striped with black, and the belly rust-red. The region of the eye is pale red, the shoulder-feathers have light edges, and the exterior quills are bordered and tipped with blackish brown, and shaded with red upon the inner web. The eye is brown, the beak whitish at its base and black towards its tip; the feet are blackish brown. According to Kittlitz these birds inhabit the barren plains of Chili and Patagonia, and are met with on the Bolivian Cordilleras to a height of from 3,500 to 4,500 feet above the level of the sea. We learn from the same authority that in its general habits the _Geositta cunicularia_ closely resembles the Common Lark.

"The Casaeita, as this bird is called by the natives," says Darwin, "builds its nest at the bottom of a narrow cylindrical hole, which is said to extend horizontally to nearly six feet under ground, in any low bank of sandy soil by the side of a wood or stream. Here, at Bahia Blanca, the walls of those I have seen are built of hardened mud. I noticed that a bank that enclosed the courtyard of the house where I lodged was penetrated by round holes in a score of places. On asking the owner the cause of this, he explained that they were made by the Casaeitas, several of which I afterwards saw at work. It is strange that though the birds were constantly flitting over the low wall they were evidently incapable of forming an idea as to its thickness, otherwise they would not have made so many vain attempts. I do not doubt that each bird as it came to daylight on the opposite side was greatly surprised at the marvellous fact."

Gray tells us that this species is extremely tame, and almost constantly in motion. The stomachs of such as he examined contained the remains of beetles; whilst Kittlitz mentions having only found seeds and small stones. At certain seasons the call is a shrill, tremulous note.

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The STAIR-BEAKS (_Xenops_) are a group of Brazilian birds, possessing a very peculiar formation of beak, the lower mandible being graduated upwards, whilst the upper portion of the bill is quite straight. The tail is formed of soft, rounded feathers, and the feet are powerful. We learn from the Prince von Wied that the members of this group associate in pairs, or small parties, and lead a very quiet, retired life within their native forests. Their food consists principally of insects, and whilst in search of these they tap upon the bark of the tree after the manner of the Woodpecker. According to our own experience they will also eat some kinds of nuts. The nest is usually placed in a hole in a tree. The various species, as far as we have ascertained, have nothing striking or peculiar in their cry.

THE HAIRY-CHEEKED STAIR-BEAK.

The HAIRY-CHEEKED STAIR-BEAK (_Xenops genibarbis_), an inhabitant of the Brazilian forests, is olive-brown on the upper parts of the body, greyish brown beneath, and white on the breast; a yellowish white line passes over the eyes, and there is a white patch behind the ear; the wings are striped with two shades of brown; the centre tail-feathers are reddish brown, the rest become deeper in shade towards the exterior; the outermost are almost black, spotted with rust-red. The length of this species is about four inches; the wing measures two inches, and the tail one inch and a half.

Numerous specimens of these birds were captured by Burmeister in the vicinity of Neufreiburg, where they came even into his garden, and ran gaily along the branches like Tree Creepers.

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The NUTHATCHES (_Sitta_) are recognisable by their very compact body, moderate beak and tail, long wings, and powerful feet. The strong, hard beak is straight above, but bulges outwards below, and is very sharply pointed at its extremity; the nostrils are round, situated beneath the brow, and covered with short hairs. The tarsi are short and the toes long, the inner and centre toes being only slightly connected, while the exterior and centre toes are united as far as the first joint; the large pointed nails are much hooked; the broad, blunt wing, in which the third and fourth quills exceed the rest in length, is soft and flexible; the short, broad tail is formed of twelve weak feathers, so pliable in texture as to render that member quite useless for climbing. The sexes are almost alike in colour, the plumage of both being usually of a blueish grey above and brownish red beneath; the young closely resemble their parents. Almost every part of the world, if we except Central and Southern Africa and South America, affords a home to some members of this family; and everywhere forests and woodland districts are their principal resort, but they are also occasionally found in rocky localities. So extraordinary are the climbing powers of these birds that they not only exhibit unrivalled agility when disporting themselves in their favourite trees, but are actually capable of descending a perpendicular wall or mass of rock; a feat, we believe, never attempted by any other members of the feathered creation. All the various groups remain throughout the entire year in their native lands, and merely wander to a short distance from their birthplace after the breeding season. Insects and seeds of various kinds afford them means of subsistence. The nest is placed in a hole of a tree, or a fissure in a rock or wall, the entrance being carefully covered with clay or similar material. The eggs, from six to nine in number, have a light shell, spotted with red.

THE COMMON NUTHATCH.

The COMMON NUTHATCH (_Sitta cæsia_) is deep grey on the mantle, and reddish yellow on the under side; a black stripe passes across the eyes to the nape; the chin and throat are white, the sides and lower tail-covers reddish brown, and the quills blackish grey, with light borders (those at the exterior are white at the root); the centre tail-feathers are blueish grey, the rest deep black, marked with blueish grey at the tip; those at the exterior are also decorated with white spots. The eye is brown, the beak light grey above and deep grey on its lower portion, and the foot greyish yellow. This species is six inches long, and ten broad; the wing measures three inches and a quarter, and the tail one inch and two-thirds. The female is distinguished from her mate by her inferior size, the comparative paleness of her under side, and the narrowness of the black line across the eyes.

The _Sitta Europæa_ is a very similar species, also inhabiting Europe. These birds are met with in all parts of our continent, from Jutland to the most southern latitudes, and are usually to be seen in pairs or small parties. Although they by no means avoid the society of man, they principally frequent woods and forests, but leave these retreats during the autumn, to wander for a time over the surrounding country. Insects, spiders, seeds, and berries constitute the principal food of the Nuthatches, and they also occasionally swallow gravel or small stones, in order to assist digestion.

The eggs, from six to nine in number, are laid about May; these are white, marked and spotted with deep red. The female alone broods, and the eggs are hatched within a fortnight. Both parents assist in the labour of instructing and tending the little family, and rear them principally upon caterpillars. The young remain in the nest until fully fledged, and do not begin life on their own account until after the moulting season.

THE SYRIAN NUTHATCH.

The SYRIAN NUTHATCH (_Sitta Syriaca_) is somewhat larger than the species above described, from which it also differs in its mode of life and habits. The upper parts of the body are greyish blue, and the under side partially of a yellowish shade; the throat, a large portion of the breast, and the centre of the belly are white; the tail is grey, spotted with yellowish brown on the inner web of the exterior feathers.

This species, which is somewhat larger than the bird last described, is commonly met with in Greece, and is also found in Syria, and on the lofty mountains between Bosnia and Dalmatia. Everywhere it exclusively frequents rocky heights, ascending and descending the most precipitous declivities with the utmost facility. It never enters forests, but occasionally seeks shelter in detached clumps of trees. Insects, seeds, and berries afford it the means of existence, and when in quest of these it displays activity and cleverness fully equalling its congeners.

The strange, penetrating cry of the Syrian Nuthatch closely resembles a burst of shrill laughter. Muhle tells us that the nest is constructed in a nook in some rock, so situated that it is warmed by the rays of the sun, either in the morning or at noon. The nest itself is about eleven inches long, and carefully formed of clay; the entrance passage sometimes terminates in a cavity, warmly lined with different kinds of hair. The exterior wall, according to Muhle, is frequently decorated with the wings of some species of beetles. The eggs, usually eight or nine in number, have a white shell, spotted with red, and are laid about May. The female is so devoted to her young that she may be taken by hand while engaged in the duty of incubation.

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The CREEPERS (_Sittella_) inhabit New Holland, and are distinguishable from the members of the group above described by their awl-shaped beak, which is much compressed at its sides, and notched at the extremity of the upper mandible. The second and third quills in the wing are the longest, and extend as far as the end of the short even tail. As regards their general habits, these birds closely resemble the other members of their family; the nests, however, are entirely different, both as to position and structure.

THE BONNETED CREEPER.

The BONNETED CREEPER (_Sittella pileata_), a species inhabiting South-western Australia, is black on the top of the head, greyish brown on the nape and back, and blackish brown on the wings; the brow, a stripe over the eyes, the throat, breast, and centre of the belly are all white, the two latter shaded with greyish brown toward the side; the quills are blackish brown, with a reddish brown patch in their centre, and a greyish brown tip. The eye is yellowish brown, the beak yellow at its base and black at its tip; the foot is yellow. The length of this bird is four inches and three-quarters, the wing measures three inches and a half, and the tail one inch and a half.

Gould tells us that these Creepers exhibit great facility in climbing and descending the branches of trees, and are usually seen frequenting their favourite haunts in small parties. Although endowed with very considerable powers of flight, they rarely employ their wings, except when desirous of attaining a neighbouring tree. Their cry is a short, weak, piping note. The small nest, which is usually placed upright on the foot of a branch, is smoothly and artistically formed of strips of bark, fastened together by spiders' webs. Incubation commences in September. The eggs, three in number, are white, marked with circular green spots.

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The WALL CREEPERS (_Tichodroma_) are recognisable by their compact body, short neck, large head, and very long, thin, and almost rounded beak, which is slightly curved and pointed at its tip. The feet are strong, the toes slender, and armed with large hooked and pointed claws. The first quill of the small, rounded wing is very short, and the fourth or fifth longer than the rest; the short tail is formed of soft, broad feathers, rounded at their tips. The lax, silky plumage is usually bright in hue, but varies in its coloration at different seasons. The tongue, which resembles that of the Woodpecker, is three-quarters of an inch long, sharp at its extremity, and furnished with numerous bristle-like hooks.

THE ALPINE OR RED-WINGED WALL CREEPER.

The ALPINE or RED-WINGED WALL CREEPER (_Tichodroma muraria_) is principally of an ash-grey tint; the region of the throat is black in winter and white in summer; the wings and tail are mostly black; but all the quills of the former, from the third to the fifteenth, are of a bright red towards the base, as are the smaller shoulder-feathers, and a narrow border on the outer web of the large wing-covers. The quills are decorated with white or yellow spots on the inner web, and the tail-feathers are bordered with white; the eye is brown; the beak and foot are black. This species is six inches and one-third long, and ten inches and a half broad; the wing measures three inches and a half, the tail two inches and a quarter; the beak is from eighteen to twenty lines long.

This interesting bird is very commonly met with upon the Alps, Pyrenees, Apennines, Balkan, Carpathian, and other mountains. Rüppell saw it on the Altai and Abyssinian ranges. Jerdon tells us that it is common on the Himalayas, and is also found in Cashmere and Afghanistan.