. Elements of zoology, or, Natural history of animals / ed. by Reese. Zoology. 150 ZOOLOGY. there is no trace of it perceptible. It is not solid, except in one species, but composed of a fragile network of bony fibres. The use of this curious appendage is unknown. The Hornbills are gregarious, noisy birds, of large size, and are peculiar to the Old World. Their flight is sail- ing, and resembles that of a crow; and on the grpund they advance by a leaping kind of movement, assisted by the wings. The larger species are extremely shy and diffi- cult of approach, and they perch on the decayed
. Elements of zoology, or, Natural history of animals / ed. by Reese. Zoology. 150 ZOOLOGY. there is no trace of it perceptible. It is not solid, except in one species, but composed of a fragile network of bony fibres. The use of this curious appendage is unknown. The Hornbills are gregarious, noisy birds, of large size, and are peculiar to the Old World. Their flight is sail- ing, and resembles that of a crow; and on the grpund they advance by a leaping kind of movement, assisted by the wings. The larger species are extremely shy and diffi- cult of approach, and they perch on the decayed branches of lofty trees, where their vision can command a wide range. They subsist on all sorts of food, devouring tender fruits, chasing mice, small birds, and reptiles, without dis- daining carrion ; and they breed in the hollows of lofty trees. 214. The family of Loxiad^e, [from the Greek loxia, oblique,] or Crossbill tribe, contains a large number of genera, of which the common crossbill can scarcely be re- garded as a characteristic illustration, the peculiar- ity from which it takes its name not being pos- sessed by more than a few other species. This peculiarity consists in the strong curvature of the mandibles, so that their Bm of CrossbinL," *"£ *> muscles whicb tips pass each other, and not always on the same side. By this extraordinary bill the bird is enabled to extract the seeds from pine-cones with astonishing facility, and it is confined to localities in which these are to be obtained. The species common in Western Europe has of late years become more abundant than formerly in the British Isles, where it was previously chiefly known as an occasional straggler. Amongst the other tribes associated in this family may be mentioned -he colits, in which the upper mandible somewhat passes the other. They are birds of Africa and India, which climb somewhat in the manner of parrots, live in troops,. 261. Describe the family of Please note that
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