. Bird lore . e blessed; their beautifulcoloring would seem to be such a startling advertisement of their where-abouts. But in reality the very diversity in tint is their protection, and theymerge perfectly into the green foliage and bright sunlit spots. Ones firstimpression of a Motmot, as seen at a distance, is of a large-headed, brownand greenish bird, with a broad bar of black on the head; but we werefortunate enough to be able to study one of these birds in our very camp. A slightly injured bird soon recovered, and remained about the camp formore than a week, retaining its full liberty, f
. Bird lore . e blessed; their beautifulcoloring would seem to be such a startling advertisement of their where-abouts. But in reality the very diversity in tint is their protection, and theymerge perfectly into the green foliage and bright sunlit spots. Ones firstimpression of a Motmot, as seen at a distance, is of a large-headed, brownand greenish bird, with a broad bar of black on the head; but we werefortunate enough to be able to study one of these birds in our very camp. A slightly injured bird soon recovered, and remained about the camp formore than a week, retaining its full liberty, feeding upon scraps of meat or 158 Bird-Lore occasionajlj^ catching insects for itself. Its favorite perch was a branch offlowering Clavillina, to which one end of the ridge-pole rope of our tentwas attached. Here, day after day, it unconsciously posed before thecamera, leaving nothing for regret except that its exquisite coloring, whichshowed so beautifully on the ground glass, must be lost in the negative. It. MEXICAN MOTMOT left this perch only when hungry or when the great heat of midday drove itto the shade of the tent or a neighboring tree. I will quote some notes which I made in my journal. The bill of thisMotmot is large and deeply serrated or toothed on each edge, and whenangry, after being teased with a piece of meat, the bird darts at and takesfirm hold of ones finger and suffers itself to be carried, dangling, severalyards before flying of?. The crown of the head and the neck are brightcinnamon, shading into a beautiful grass-green on the back and wings. The Motmots of our Mexican Camp 159 The large, soft brown eyes are surrounded by a ring of feathers, very small,circular, and black in color. Back of the eye is a broad tuft of black,banded above and below with beautiful blue. The breast is a most delicateemerald green, shot with pale blue, while exactly in the center is a twinblack feathery pendant or tuft, similar to the eye-tufts.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectorn
