hedge, or among underwood by the sides of rivers, into which, if disturbed, it flies for refuge, and if driven thence, flies no farther than to the nearest tree, reluctantly shifting its place. In the stomach of one were found the bones of a lizard, mixed with the remains of insects."

The Malcohas, (Phoenicophaus, VIEILL.) constitute another group; they seem to be almost exclusively confined to India and the adjacent islands. The generic characters consist in the bill being stout, longer than the head, and gently curved from its base; and in the side of the head, for a large space round the eye, being destitute of feathers, and exhibiting a naked granulated skin. The wings are short, the tail long and graduated.

We may notice, as an example, the RED-HEADED MALCOHA, (Phoenicophaus pyrrhocephalus,) of Ceylon. In length, this bird is about sixteen inches; the general plumage above is shining greenish black; tail tipped with white, and very graduated; under surface white; the large naked space round the edges is orange red, bordered along its under margin with a rim of white. It frequents the deep woods, and is said to live, at least to a great extent, on fruits. But of its habits, as of the rest of its group, nothing is accurately known.

A group of richly coloured birds, called COUROUcouis, or Trogons, (Trogon, LIN.) natives, one of Africa, and the rest of India, and the hotter portions of South America, have generally been referred to this family. In some respects they undoubtedly agree; but in the form of the bill, which is short, broad, with an arched ridge along the upper mandible, and furnished at its base with stiff projecting bristles, they are very dissimilar. The feet and tarsi are so small as to be invisible when the bird is perched. The tail is large, long, and graduated. The plumage is full, soft, silky, and richly painted. As it respects colouring, they however differ so much at different stages of their life, as to be confounded together, or, on the other hand, lead to a supposition of a difference of

species, where none exists. During the breeding season the males of many species put on ornamental plumes of the most gorgeous hues, and richest metallic lustre. Their food consists of insects of the harder kinds. They breed in the holes of trees. The species belonging to India and Africa are distinguished by the edges of the two mandibles being smooth; while in those from America they are serrated. In addition, we may state that the South American Trogons are all green, with barred or black tails, tipped with white; in many instances the barring is lost after a few moultings, the tail becoming white; the space round the eyes is feathered. In the Old World species the general colour is brown, one or two being very dull greenish; a naked space surrounds the eyes, and the feathers of the tail, which are white on their outer edge, undergo no change.

The Trogons, in their habits, exhibit a very striking analogy to some of the group of the Fissirostral tribe, the goatsuckers for example. Like them they sit solitary, motionless, and as if in a tranquil doze, on the branches of trees in the thickest part of the jungle, or the marshy forest; their eyes are closed, as if to shut out the light; and in this state they may be approached, and taken by the hand without any difficulty. Their season of activity is during the evening, when the sun is down, and in the morning before the dawn. Their large nocturnal eyes are then wide open, and the power of vision is in full exercise; from their perch they give chase to the beetle as it flits murmuring by, and return to it after a short but successful flight, in order to be ready for another chase. Their flight is buoyant and noiseless.

The first example we shall notice, is the RED-BELlied TROGON, of South America, (Trogon Curucui, LIN.) This beautiful bird is nearly twelve inches in length. The whole of the upper surface and chest are rich shining green; wing-coverts gray, with zigzag lines of black; quills black; under surface fine red.

It is a native of Mexico, Brazil, Peru, and other parts of South America, where it dwells in the thickest forests,

in company with its mate; during the breeding season it utters a plaintive note, by which its haunts are discovered; at other times it is mute. The nest consists merely of the dust of decayed wood, which naturally accumulates in the hollows of aged trees; on this the female lays her eggs, and during incubation is supplied by her mate with food, who beguiles the weary hours with his melancholy voice. The young birds, when first hatched, are said to be quite destitute of feathers, and with large and apparently disproportioned heads. The parents feed them with insects, larvæ, &c. till capable of obtaining their own supplies. Their plumage is dull, the upper surface being dusky brownish, in which respect they much resemble the female, who wants the brilliant green of the male.

But of all the species of Trogon, the RESPLENdent TROGON, (T. resplendens, GOULD,) is by far the most gorgeous. The whole of the upper surface is a rich glossy intense green, changing in some lights into fine steel blue, the feathers being of a silky texture, and disposed in scale-like order. The wing-coverts are elongated; and the tail-coverts so much so as to cover the tail entirely, two being nearly a yard in length, and forming a lovely plume; the webs of each being loose and floating, as we see in a peacock's train. The under surface dark purple. The quills black, as are the middle tail-feathers, the six outer ones being almost wholly white. It inhabits Brazil: and till lately has been confounded with another species, the T. pavorinus, (Spix.) Few specimens are to be seen in the museums of Great Britain.

Leaving the family Cuculidæ, we come to that termed Picide, which includes the Barbets, the Woodpeckers, and the Wrynecks, birds of true scansorial habits, climbing about the trunks and larger branches of trees with great facility, and feeding for the most part on such insects as secrete themselves either in the crevices, or beneath the bark, or in the soft wood of decayed trees.

The BARBETS, (Bucco, LIN.) are distinguished by the beak being large, conical, swollen on its sides at the

base, and garnished with five distinct bundles of long bristles, one on each side over the nostrils, one at the angle of the beak, and a single brush under the chin.

THE HEAD OF THE BARBET.

The wings are short, the general proportions heavy, and the flight slow. They live on insects and fruits, and breed in the holes of trees. They are indigenous in both continents, and live for the most part in small flocks, except during the breeding season, when they separate into pairs. Many are richly coloured. Such for example is the Bucco grandis, a native of China, and the range of the Himalayan mountains. The head, neck,

and throat are deep steel blue, changing in some lights to rich green; the back and chest are rich olive brown; the tail is green, as are the quills on their outer edges; the under surface is greenish, with dashes of brown and gray; the under tail-coverts are scarlet.

The Barbets lead off by insensible gradations to the true Woodpeckers, a group of birds full of interest, in whatever point of view they are examined, and particularly manifesting those marks of design which point out the wisdom of their Creator.

The Woodpeckers are widely distributed, and are found, with the exception of Australia, alike in both continents, each portion of the world having its peculiar species; they are essentially scansorial in their habits; the tarsi are short and strong, and the toes large, and armed with sharp hooked claws, which pierce the surface of the bark, or catch the slightest inequalities. Though the toes are