. Birds: the elements of ornithology . ^^ The Owl-parrot {Siringopa habroptUm). It is generally supposed that we have here an instance of anextraordinary change in habit and instinct, and that the Birdwas exolusiviely a vegetable-feeder tiU the introduction of sheepinto New Zealand. Dr. H. Woodward, , has, however,suggested to us, as by no means improbable, that this Bird in INTEODXrCTIOIf. 73 former days may have fed upon species of Dinomis, perching ontheir backs in a situation whence they could not easily be dis-lodged. If such was the case, it is easy to understand howthe woolly back
. Birds: the elements of ornithology . ^^ The Owl-parrot {Siringopa habroptUm). It is generally supposed that we have here an instance of anextraordinary change in habit and instinct, and that the Birdwas exolusiviely a vegetable-feeder tiU the introduction of sheepinto New Zealand. Dr. H. Woodward, , has, however,suggested to us, as by no means improbable, that this Bird in INTEODXrCTIOIf. 73 former days may have fed upon species of Dinomis, perching ontheir backs in a situation whence they could not easily be dis-lodged. If such was the case, it is easy to understand howthe woolly back of the sheep might readily have attracted theseParrots. It would have but recalled to their imaginations asso-ciated sensations leading to acts which revived this instinctwhich thus had only become dormant in them. Pig. Xhe Kea Parrot {Nestor A variety of other groups of remarkable Birds have norepresentative in Europe, and many of them are exclusivelyinhabitants of South America, which contains the most extensiveforest-region in the world. Amongst these are the Toucans—very brightly coloured Birdswith extraordinarily large, elongated, gently curved beSks, which 74 ELEMENTS OF OENITHOLOGY. are as remarkable for their lightness as their size. Of thisgroup—which does not even extend to the West Indies—thereare fifty-nine different species. The largest of these, the ToeoToucan (Bhanyahastos toco), may stand as a type of the whole. Another group of brilliantly coloured climbing Birds, withstout but very much smaller bills, are called Barbets, on accountof the long bristles which project forwards around the Eed-headed Barbet (Capita erythrocepTuilus), which maystand as a type, is, with a few other species, an inhabitant of Pig. 75.
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