The Living Animals of the World, Volume II: Birds, Reptiles and Amphibians, Fishes, Jointed Animals, Molluscs, etc.
of the World508 The Living Animals
The COLIES, or MOUSE-BIRDS, of South Africa are small, crested, long-tailed, loose-plumaged birds whose exact relationships are somewhat puzzling. The name Mouse-bird is given on account of the habit of creeping along the boughs of trees with the whole foot applied to the branch. The toes are peculiar in that all turn forwards, and are commonly so retained. About ten species are known, ranging from Abyssinia southwards. Kesplendent without doubt are the majority of the forms which we have been lately considering, but probably the palm for gorgeous coloration should be given to the TROGONS at least they must be allowed to share the honours with the Humming-birds. The most splendid of all is the QUEZAL, the male of which has a train of great length, resembling at first sight a tail. But, as in the peacock, this is formed by enormously elongated tail-coverts, concealing the true tail. These tail-coverts differ, however, markedly from those in the peacock in that they are not erectile, is ornamented with a large, but pendent. The head rounded crest; the ground-colour of the upper parts of the plumage is of brilliant metallic green; the under parts from the chest downwards are of a deep blood-red. Certain of the covert-feathers of the wing form elegant drooping plumes, hanging down on either side and giving a wonderfully beautiful effect. The late Mr. Salvin's account of this bird in its wild state is well worth quoting. Hunting with a
Pholo by A. S. Rudland & Sons. native for this bird in the forest, where alone it is to BACKET-TAILED MOTMOT. be met with, he writes: " A distant clattering note indi-settles a splendid Note the mutilated tail-feathers. cates that the bird is on the wing. He male on a bough of a tree, not seventy yards from where we are hidden. Cipriano wants to creep up to within shot, but I keep him back, wishing to risk the chance of losing a specimen rather than miss such an opportunity of seeing the bird in its living state, and of watching its movements. It sits almost motionless on its perch, the body remaining in the same position, the head only moving from side to side. The tail is occasionally jerked open and closed again, and now and then slightly raised, causing the all. A ripe fruit catches the quezal'slong tail-coverts to vibrate gracefully. I have not seen eye, and he darts from his perch, hovers for a moment, picks the berry, and returns to his former position. This is done with a degree of elegance that defies description."
CHAPTER XIV.
TOUCANS, HONEY-GUIDES, JAOAMARS AND PUFF-BIRDS, BARBETS
AND WOODPECKERS.
in plumage, and somewhat ungainly in appearance, it must nevertheless be admitted that the TOUCANS form an exceedingly interesting group of birds. On account of theirGAUDY
; huge and gaily coloured 'beaks, they have been imagined to be related to the Hornbijls but even judging by this character, the two groups may be readily distinguished; for whereas the typical beak of the hornbill is surmounted by a large casque, the beak of the toucan is
Toucans and Honey^guides 509 never so ornamented. The solid appearance of the beak in the toucan, by the way, is as much a fiction as with the hornbill, since the horny sheath is supported, not on a core of solid bone, air. The coloration ofbut on a frame of delicate bony filigree-work, the spaces being filled by the plumage (which is somewhat loose in character), as well as of the bare skin round the eye and the beak-sheath, is most brilliant, and displays immense variation amongst the different species.
Shy and restless in their habits, toucans travel generally in small flocks amongst the forest-trees and mangrove-swamps in search of food, which consists mainly of fruits and seeds, is to this diet of fruit that thevarying this diet occasionally with ants and caterpillars. It great size of the bill and its peculiar saw-like edges are to be traced at least this is the opinion of the great traveller-naturalist Bates, who had so many opportunities of watching these birds. " Flowers and fruit," he writes, " on the crowns of the large trees of South American forests grow principally towards the end of slender twigs, which will not bear any considerable weight. All animals, therefore, which feed principally upon fruit, or on insects contained in flowers, must, of course, have some means of reaching the ends of the stalks from a distance. Monkeys obtain their food by stretching forth their long arms, and in some instances their tails, to bring the fruit near to their mouths; humming-birds are endowed with highly perfected organs of flight, with corresponding muscular develop ment, by which they are enabled to sustain themselves on the wing before blossoms whilst rifling them of their contents; [and the long bill of the toucan enables it] to reach and devour fruit whilst remaining seated, and thus to counterbalance the disadvantage which its heavy body and gluttonous appetite would otherwise give it in the competition with allied groups of birds." Toucans appear to be much esteemed as articles of food at least during the months of June and July, when these birds get very fat, the flesh being ex- Photo by A. S. Rudland & Sons. ceedingly sweet and tender. They nest TEOUON. thickest forests.in holes of trees at a great height from Trogons haunt the recesses of the the ground, and lay white eggs.
One of the most remarkable of the group is the CUKL-CRESTED TOUCAN, from the fact that the feathers on the crown of the head are peculiarly modified to form scroll-like, glossy : " I had an curls, which have been compared to shavings of steel or ebony. Mr. Bates writes amusing adventure one day with one of these birds. I had shot one from a rather high tree in a dark glen in the forest, and entered the thicket where the bird had fallen to secure my booty. instant, It was only wounded, and on my attempting to seize it set up a loud scream. In an certainly as if by magic, the shady nook seemed alive with these birds, although there was none visible when I entered the jungle. They descended towards me, hopping from bough to bough, some of them swinging on the loops and cables of woody lianas, and all croaking and fluttering their wings like so many furies. If I had had a long stick in my hand, I could have knocked several of them over. After killing the wounded one, I began to prepare for obtaining more specimens and punishing the viragos for their boldness. But the screaming of trees, and before I could reload every one their companion having ceased, they remounted the of them had disappeared." With neither charm of colour nor peculiar shape, the small African birds known as HONEY-GUIDES are some of the most remarkable of birds, and this on account of a quite
The Living Animals of the World
unique habit ot inducing other animals, not even excepting man, to hunt for them. is Sit John Kirk, writing of its habits in the Zambesi district, says: " The honey-guide found in forests and often far from water, even during the dry season. On observing a man, it comes fluttering from branch to branch in the neighbouring trees, calling attention. If this be responded to as the natives do by whistling and starting to their feet the bird will go in a certain direction, and remain at a little distance, hopping from one tree to another. On being followed, it goes further; and so it will guide the way to a nest of bees. is When this is reached, it flies about, but no longer guides; and then some knowledge required to discover the nest, even when pointed out to within a few trees. I have known this bird, if the man, after taking up the direction for a little, then turns away, come back and offer to point out another nest in a different part. But if it does not know of two nests, it will remain behind. The difficulty is that the bird will point to tame bees in a bark hive as readily as to those in the forest. This is natural, as the bee is the same, the bark hive... being simply fastened up in a tree, and left for the bees to come to.... The object the bird has in view is clearly the young bees. It will guide to nests having no honey, and seems equally is torn delighted if the comb containing the grubs it." out, when it is seen pecking at An old rumour had it that honey-guides occasionally lured men on to spots where lions or other large and dangerous beasts lay hid. No credence whatever is now given to such tales, it being readily understood that the bird's course may by accident pass directly above perils of this kind, without the slightest cognisance of this on the part of the bird. The honey-guide, however, presses into its service one of the lower mammals the ratel. The fondness of this animal for bees is well known, and by none better than this little bird, which, by pointing out nests to its more powerful companion, earns as a reward the broken bits which remain after the feast. Allies of the sombre-coloured Honey-guides are the JACAMARS and PUFF-BIRDS. The former are rather
Photo by A. S. Rudland & Sons. handsome birds, though small, having the upper-parts CURL-CRESTED TOUCAN. of a metallic coppery golden green, and more or less So called from the curiously curled feathers on the head, resembling black and glistening shavings. rufous below. Eanging from Mexico to South Brazil, they may usually be found on the outskirts of forests, near water, sitting perched on the bare boughs of lofty trees for hours at a time. They feed on moths and other insects, caught on the wing, and brought back and crushed against the bough before swallowing. They lay white eggs in the holes of trees.
The PUFF-BIRDS, though closely allied to the foregoing, are more soberly clad. Black, brown, and rufous in hue, they lack the resplendent metallic markings of the Jacamars. Their geographical range extends from Guatemala and Honduras to Argentina. Though numerous species and genera are known, the nest and eggs appear to have been discovered in the case of one species only: these were found in a hole in a bank, and contained two shining white eggs. The BARBETS are possibly more closely related to the Honey-guides than the Jacamars and Puff-birds. Brilliantly coloured, and having a plumage exhibiting violent contrasts of red, blue, purple, and yellow, on a green ground, sometimes with crests, bare skin round the eye, and brightly coloured bills, the barbets are, in spite of a somewhat hairy appearance, exceedingly attractive birds.
Woodpeckers 5" Forest-dwellers, like their allies, they feed upon fruit, seeds, insects, bark, and buds; but so noiseless are they said to be when feeding that their presence is betrayed only by the falling of berries they have accidentally released.
It is interesting to note that the geographical range of the barbet is much wider than that of its immediate allies, extending through tropical Asia, Africa, and America.