. A history of British birds, indigenous and migratory: including their organization, habits, and relations; remarks on classification and nomenclature; an account of the principal organs of birds, and observations relative to practical ornithology .. . d in a cage, itimmediately ruffles up the feathers of its head, spreads out thoseof the tail and raises them, advances and retires, striking thebottom of the cage with its bill. It is said to be generally distributed on the Continent, andto be common among the Himalayan Mountains. Young.—The young when fledged are coloured in the samemanner as


. A history of British birds, indigenous and migratory: including their organization, habits, and relations; remarks on classification and nomenclature; an account of the principal organs of birds, and observations relative to practical ornithology .. . d in a cage, itimmediately ruffles up the feathers of its head, spreads out thoseof the tail and raises them, advances and retires, striking thebottom of the cage with its bill. It is said to be generally distributed on the Continent, andto be common among the Himalayan Mountains. Young.—The young when fledged are coloured in the samemanner as their parents. 105 CUCULINtE. CUCKOOS AND ALLIED SPECIES. Of the extensive series of zygodactylous birds, the mostisolated groups seem to be the Parrots and Woodpeckers,which might therefore be considered as forming two distinctorders. Feet of this kind are not necessarily scansorial, andwe have seen that the more or less syndactylous feet of Creepersand Nuthatches are as well adapted for climbing as those ofWoodpeckers ; large, well-curved, much compressed, and ex-tremely acute, short-tipped claws, whether two only or threeof the toes be directed forwards, forming the essential charac-teristic of a scandent foot. Now many of the zygodactylous. Fig. 208. birds have the feet somewhat differently formed from those ofthe AV^oodpeckers, inasmuch as the toes are very broad and flatbeneath, so as evidently to be formed for grasping a branch ortwig with security, while the claws are not very different fromthose of the Vagatores and other perching birds; and in somethe toes and tarsi are so very small and feeble that they couldnot support a bird in climbing. These latter, such as the 100 CUCULlNiE. Jacamars, may be referred to the aerial birds, or those whichfly chiefly in procuring their food, but neither climb nor walkniuch; and the Cuckoos and An is may be considered as form-ing an order, to which, however, I refrain from giving a name,because I have not studied the manners of mor


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