CHAPTER X.

THE BEE-EATERS--MOTMOTS--ROLLERS--TROGONS--NIGHTJARS, OR GOATSUCKERS--SWIFTS--HUMMING-BIRDS.

THE BEE-EATERS--Their Brilliant Plumage--Colonel Irby’s Account of the Bird in Spain--Shot for Fashion’s sake--THE MOTMOTS--Appearance--Mr. Waterton on the Houtou--Curious Habit of Trimming its Tail--Mr. O. Salvin’s Observations on this point--Mr. Bartlett’s Evidence--THE ROLLERS--Why so called--Canon Tristram’s Account of their Habits--Colour--Other Species--THE TROGONS--Where found--Peculiar Foot--Tender Skin--Inability to Climb--Their Food--THE LONG-TAILED TROGON, OR QUESAL--Mr. Salvin’s Account of its Habits--Its Magnificent Colour--How they are Hunted--THE NIGHTJARS, OR GOATSUCKERS--Appearance--Distribution--The Guacharo, or Oil Bird--“Frog-mouths”--Mr. Gould’s Account of the Habits of the Tawny-shouldered Podargus--How it Builds its Nest--Mr. Waterton’s Vindication of the Goatsucker--What Services the Bird does really render Cattle, Goats, and Sheep--Its Cry--THE COMMON GOATSUCKER--THE SWIFTS--THE COMMON SWIFT--Migration--Their Home in the Air--When they Breed--Nest--TREE SWIFTS--The Edible-Nest Swiftlets--Mr. E. L. Layard’s Visit to the Cave of the Indian Swiftlet--THE HUMMING BIRDS--Number of Species--Distribution--Professor Newton’s Description of the Bird--Mr. Wallace on their Habits--Wilson on the North American Species 360

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

The Chamois _Frontispiece._

The Water Deerlet, or Chevrotain 1

Stomach of a Ruminating Animal: exterior and interior 2

Brain of a Sheep 3

Merino Sheep 5

The Ammon 8

The Ammon 9

The Barbary Wild Sheep 10

The Ibex 11

The Markhoor 12

The Dorcas Gazelle 14

The Saïga 15

The Indian Antelope 16

Head of Female Bush-buck 18

The Water-buck 19

The Eland 20

The Koodoo 22

The Bubaline Antelope 24

The Gnu 25

The Goral 26

Head of the Chamois 27

The Oryx 28

The Nyl-ghau 30

Musk Oxen 31

Chillingham Cattle 32

The Hungarian Bull 33

The European Bison 36

The American Bison 37

The Yak 38

The Anoa 39

Skull of the Pronghorn Antelope 40

The Pronghorn Antelope 41

Skull of the Musk [Deer] 42

The Musk [Deer] 43

Skeleton of the Giraffe 44

Giraffes 45

Head of Red Deer, in which the growing Antlers are seen covered with “velvet” 46

Head of Red Deer, in which the Antler is fully developed and the “velvet” has disappeared 47

Various Types of Antlers 49

Elk Hunt 50

Young Elk 51

The Red Deer 53

Red Deer and Fallow Deer in Winter 54

Red Deer Fighting 55

The Fallow Deer 56

The Sambur Deer 57

The Borneo Rusine Deer 58

The Axis Deer _To face page_ 59

Schomburgk’s Deer 60

The Indian Muntjac 62

The Roebuck: Male, Female, and Young 63

The Chinese Water Deer 64

The Chinese Elaphure 65

Reindeer at a Lapp Encampment 66

The Reindeer 67

The Guazuti Deer 69

The Javan Deerlet 70

The Stanleyan Deerlet--Foot of Camel 71

Stomach of the Llama--Water Cells of the Camel 72

Head of the (true) Camel 73

The (true) Camel 74

The Bactrian Camel 75

Huanaco attacked by a Puma 76

The Alpaca _To face page_ 77

The Llama 77

Skeleton of the Irish Elk 79

The Irish Elk (_Restored_) 80

The Prairie Dog 81

Skull of the Taguan, a Flying Squirrel--Dentition of the Hare 82

Skeleton of the Rabbit 83

Brain of Beaver, from above and in profile 84

Teeth of the Taguan 85

The Common Squirrel 86

The Black Fox Squirrel 88

The Taguan 89

The Polatouche 90

The Common Chipmunk 91

Molar Teeth of the Marmot--The Striped Spermophile, or Gopher 92

Burrows of the Prairie Dog 93

The Alpine Marmot 95

The Fulgent Anomalure--Molar Teeth of the Anomalure 96

Molar Teeth of the Beaver 97

The Beaver 98

Molar Teeth of the Dormouse--The Dormouse 102

The Garden Dormouse 103

Skull of Lophiomys--The Lophiomys 104

Molar Teeth of the Black Rat 105

The Brown Rat 106

The Black Rat 107

Harvest Mice 109

Molar Teeth of the Hapalote 111

Head of the Rabbit-like Reithrodon 112

Hamster _To face page_ 113

Molar Teeth of the Hamster 113

Molar Teeth of the Gerbille--Skull of the Water Mouse--Teeth of Sminthus 114

Molar Teeth of the Water Rat 115

The Southern Field Vole 116

The Musquash 118

The Lemming 119

Skull of Mole-Rat--The Mole-Rat 121

Molar Teeth of the Mexican Pouched Rat--Under Surface of the Head of Heteromys 122

Skull of the Mexican Pouched Rat 123

Skull of the Cape Jumping Hare 124

The American Jumping Mouse--Molar Teeth of the Jerboa 125

The Jerboa 126

The Alactaga--Molar Teeth of the Jumping Hare 127

The Cape Jumping Hare 128

The Degu 129

Dentition of the Rock Rat--Teeth of the Spiny Rat 130

The Coypu 131

The Hutia Conga--Teeth of Plagiodon--Molar Teeth of Loncheres 132

Skull of Loncheres 133

Skull of the Porcupine--The Common Porcupine 134

The Tree Porcupine 136

Mexican Tree Porcupines 137

Viscachas _To face page_ 139

Molar Teeth of the Chinchilla--The Chinchilla 139

Molar Teeth of the Agouti--Azara’s Agouti 140

Skull of the Paca--The Paca 141

The Dinomys 142

The Patagonian Cavy 144

Molars of the Capybara 145

The Capybara 146

The Common Hare 148

The Alpine Pika 150

Side View of Skull and Lower Jaw of Mesotherium Cristatum--Dentition of Mesotherium Cristatum 155

Group of Sloths 158

Skeleton of the Sloth 161

Bones of Hand of Three-toed Sloth 162

Skull of Sloth 163

The Collared Sloth 164

The Ai 165

Skull of Ai 166

Stomach of Sloth 167

Hoffmann’s Sloth 168

The Cape Ant-eater 170

Skull of the Cape Ant-eater 171

Temminck’s Pangolin 172

The Four-fingered Pangolin 173

The Five-fingered Pangolin 175

The Great Ant-Bear 177

The Two-toed Ant-eater 180

Bones of Claw of Great Armadillo 181

Skeleton of the Armadillo--Skull of the Armadillo 182

The Great Armadillo--Brain of the Armadillo 183

The Poyou 185

The Ball Armadillo 188

The Pichiciago 189

The Great Kangaroo _To face page_ 191

Skeleton of the Great Kangaroo 192

Teeth of the Great Kangaroo 193

Stomach of the Great Kangaroo 195

Brain of the Great Kangaroo 196

The Brush-tailed Rock Kangaroo 197

The Common Tree Kangaroo 198

The Kangaroo Rat--Teeth of the Kangaroo Rat 199

Fore and Hind Foot of Hypsiprymnus 200

Skeleton of the Wombat 201

The Wombat--Lower Jaw of the Wombat 202

Teeth of the Wombat 203

The Koala 204

The Cuscus 205

The Vulpine Phalanger 206

The Squirrel Flying Phalanger 208

The Banded Perameles 210

The Dasyure 213

Teeth of the Dasyure--Brain of the Dasyure 214

Upper and Under View of Skull of Dasyure 215

The Dog-headed Thylacinus 216

Skeleton of the Dog-headed Thylacinus 217

The Brush-tailed Phascogale--The Antechinus 218

Opossum and Young _To face page_ 219

Teeth of the Opossum 219

Skeleton of the Crab-eating Opossum 220

The Crab-eating Opossum 221

Merian’s Opossum 222

The Yapock 223

Pelvic Arch of the Echidna 227

The Porcupine Echidna 228

Mouth and Nose-snout of Echidna 229

Jaws of the Duck-billed Platypus 231

Fore and Hind Foot of the Duck-billed Platypus--Shoulder-girdle and Sternum of the Echidna 232

The Duck-billed Platypus 233

The Imperial Eagle 235

Bones of Wing of Bird--Feathers of Wing of Bird 237

Parts of a Feather 238

Skeleton of Eagle 241

Skull of Young Ostrich from above and from below 242

Sternum of Fregilupus varius--Pelvis of an Adult Fowl, side view 243

Section of the Eye of the Common Buzzard 246

Digestive Organs of the Kingfisher 248

Front View and Section of Inferior Larynx of Peregrine Falcon 251

Diagrammatic Section of a Fowl’s Egg 252

Head and Bill of Sea Eagle 255

Bill of Egyptian Vulture, to show form of Nostril--Bill of Turkey Vulture, to show the perforated Nostril 256

The Griffon Vulture 259

The Egyptian Vulture 261

The Condor 262

The Brazilian Caracara 264

The Secretary Bird 266

The Marsh Harrier 269

The Goshawk 272

The Sparrow-Hawk 273

Hind View of Tarsus of Buzzard, showing the plated arrangement of Scales--Hind View of Tarsus of Serpent Eagle, showing the reticulated arrangement of Scales 274

The Common Buzzard 275

The Harpy 276

The Bearded Eagle, or Lämmergeier 279

Eye of Eagle, showing Crystalline Lens 280

The Golden Eagle 282

The Bateleur Eagle 285

The White-tailed Eagle 287

The Common Kite 289

The Peregrine Falcon 292

A Hooded Falcon--Falcon’s Hood 293

The Common Kestrel 295

The Osprey 296

Skull of Tengmalm’s Owl 297

The Little Owl 298

The Eagle Owl _To face page_ 301

The Snowy Owl 303

The Short-eared Owl 304

Face of the Barn Owl 305

Breast-bone of the Barn Owl 307

Cockatoos _To face page_ 309

The Amazon Parrot 311

Great Macaws _To face page_ 313

The Grey Parrot 313

The Rose-ringed Parrakeet 314

The Rosella 316

The Owl Parrot 317

The Lorikeet 319

Tongue of Nestor 320

The Kaka Parrot 321

Skull of the Grey Parrot 323

The Common Cuckoo 326

The Great Spotted Cuckoo 328

The Honey Guide 329

The White-crested Plantain-eater 331

Colies 333

“Hyoid” Bone of Adult Fowl--Side View of Dissection of Head of Common Green Woodpecker 334

Upper View of Skull of Green Woodpecker--Dissection of Head of Green Woodpecker, viewed from below 335

The Wryneck 336

The Great Black Woodpecker and Great Spotted Woodpecker _To face page_ 337

The Green Woodpecker 337

The Toucan 340

Bill of Toucan 341

The Pearl-spotted Barbet 342

The Common Kingfisher 345

The Pied Kingfisher 348

The Laughing Jackass 350

The Great Hornbill 352

The Ground Hornbills of Abyssinia 355

The Common Hoopoe 358

The Australian Bee-eater--Bill of Motmot 361

The Motmot 362

Tail-feathers of Motmot 363

The Blue Roller 365

The Long-tailed Trogon, or Quesal _To face page_ 367

Mouth of Goatsucker--The Oil-bird 368

The Common Goatsucker 369

The Whip-poor-will 370

The Lyre-tailed Nightjar 371

Foot of the Common Goatsucker 372

The Common Swift 373

The Tree Swift 374

The Edible-nest Swiftlets 375

The White-throated Spine-tailed Swift 376

The Sword-bill Humming Bird 377

The White-booted Racket Tail 378

The Common Topaz Humming Bird 379

The Crested Humming Bird 380

CASSELL’S NATURAL HISTORY.