THE SILK-TAIL, BOHEMIAN CHATTERER, OR WAX-WING (Bombycilla garrula).
The Common Silk-tail is an inhabitant both of Northern Europe and of North America, but is found only occasionally in some parts of Asia, being replaced in that continent by its Japanese congener, the Bombycilla phœnicoptera; while in America the CEDAR BIRD (Bombycilla cedrorum) is more numerously met with. In the northern portions of Europe, birch and pine forests constitute its favourite retreats, and these it seldom quits, except when driven by unusual severity of weather or by heavy falls of snow to seek refuge in more southern provinces. Even in Russia, Poland, and Southern Scandinavia it is constantly to be seen throughout the entire winter; indeed, so rarely does it wander to more southern latitudes that in Germany it is popularly supposed to make its appearance once in seven years. On the occasion of these rare migrations, the Silk-tails keep together in large flocks, and remain in any place that affords them suitable food until the supply is exhausted. Like most other members of the feathered creation inhabiting extreme climates, these birds are heavy and indolent, rarely exerting themselves except to satisfy their hunger, and appearing unwilling to move even to a short distance from their usual haunts. With their companions they live in uninterrupted harmony, and during their migrations testify no fear of man, frequently coming down to seek for food in the villages and towns they pass over, without apparently regarding the noisy bustle of the streets. Even during their winter journeyings, they settle frequently, and pass the entire day indolently perching in crowds upon the trees, remaining almost motionless for some hours together, only descending in the morning and evening to procure berries, in search of which they climb from branch to branch with considerable dexterity. Their flight is light and graceful, being effected by very rapid strokes of the wings. Upon the ground they move with difficulty, and rarely alight upon its surface, except when in search of water. Their call-note is a hissing, twittering sound, very similar to that produced by blowing down the barrel of a key. The song, though monotonous and gentle, is uttered by both sexes with so much energy and expression as to produce a pleasing effect, and may be generally heard throughout the entire year. Insects unquestionably constitute the principal food of the Silk-tails during the warmer months, but in winter they subsist mainly upon various kinds of berries. So voracious is this species, that, according to Naumann, it will devour an amount of food equal to the weight of its own body in the course of twenty-four hours. When caged, it sits all day long close to its eating-trough, alternately gorging, digesting, and sleeping, without intermission. Until the last few years we were entirely without particulars as to the incubation of the Silk-tail, and have to thank Wolley for the first account of the nest and eggs. This gentleman, who visited Lapland in 1857, determined not to return to England until he had procured the long-desired treasure, and, after great trouble and expense, succeeded in collecting no fewer than 600 eggs. All the nests discovered were deeply ensconced among the boughs of pine-trees, at no great height from the ground; their walls were principally formed of dry twigs and scraps from the surrounding branches; the central cavity was wide, deep, and lined with blades of grass and feathers. The brood consists of from four to seven, but usually of five eggs, which are laid about the middle of June; the shell is blueish or purplish white, sparsely sprinkled with brown, black, or violet spots and streaks, some of which take the form of a wreath at the broad end (see Fig. 25, Coloured Plate IV.) The Silk-tail readily accustoms itself to life in a cage, and in some instances has been known to live for nine or ten years in confinement, feeding principally upon vegetables, salad, white bread, groats, or bran steeped in water.
The MANAKINS (Pipræ) constitute an extensive family of most beautiful and gaily-plumaged birds, inhabiting America, Southern Asia, and New Holland. Almost all the members of this group are of small size, few being larger than a Pigeon, and all are clothed in soft, silky feathers, glowing with the most brilliant hues. Their bodies are compact; their wings short, or of moderate length; their beak short, broad at the base, arched at the culmen, and slightly hooked and incised at its extremity. The feet are powerful, the tarsi rather long, and the toes comparatively short. The plumage, always compact and thick, varies much in its coloration, according to the age and sex. All these birds inhabit forests and woodland districts, some few frequenting hilly or mountainous tracts, while the greater number are only seen in lowland regions. Most of them are extremely lively and social, passing their time in flying in small parties about the summits of forest-trees, and attracting the attention of travellers as much by the peculiarity of their cry as by the glowing tints of their plumage. They live almost exclusively on fruits of various kinds, sometimes on such as are of considerable size. Kittlitz mentions having upon one occasion seen a Manakin flying with such difficulty as to arrest his particular notice, and having brought down the bird with his gun, he found on examining the stomach that it contained a half-digested palm-nut. "How it was possible," he says, "for the bird to have swallowed a fruit nearly as large as its own body appeared to me most extraordinary, but close investigation showed me that the gape of this species, like that of a snake, is capable of great extension. I am, however, still at a loss to explain how the juices of the stomach were enabled to demolish so huge a morsel." Some few species also devour insects.
The ROCK BIRDS (Rupicola) comprise some of the largest species in the entire family. Their bodies are powerful; their wings, in which the fourth quill exceeds the rest in length, are long; the tail is short, broad, straight at the tip, and almost covered by the long feathers upon the rump. The tarsi are robust, the toes long, and armed with thick, long, and very decidedly hooked claws. The feathers upon the back are broad, with either sharp tips or angular extremities; those upon the brow, top of the head, and nape, form an upright crest or plume.
THE COCK OF THE ROCK.
The COCK OF THE ROCK (Rupicola crocea), the best known species of this group, has been minutely described by many writers. The rich plumage of the adult male is of a bright orange-yellow; the feathers that form the crest are deep purplish red; the large wing-covers, quills, and tail-feathers brown, edged with white at their tips, and marked with large white spots. The females and young are of an uniform brown; the lower wing-covers orange-red; the rump and tail-feathers light reddish brown; and their crest considerably smaller than that of the male. All have orange-red eyes, greyish yellow beaks, and yellowish flesh-pink feet. The male is twelve inches long; his wing measures seven and his tail nine inches, the female is at least two inches smaller.
The Cock of the Rock is an inhabitant of Guiana and North-eastern Brazil, where it frequents well-watered mountain regions, and the immediate vicinity of waterfalls, only quitting these localities about June or July, to visit the woods and forests, in order to procure the abundant supply of ripe fruit that awaits it at that season; but it never, even during these excursions, descends into the open plains. Humboldt met with these birds on the shores of the Orinoco, and Schomburghk encountered them twice, each time in large flocks, whilst he was travelling through British Guiana, once on the Canuku Mountains, and again amongst the sandstone rocks near Wenham Lake. "On one occasion," says Schomburghk, "after ascending to the summit of a lofty precipice, so entirely covered with huge blocks of granite overgrown with moss and ferns as to be almost impassable, we came suddenly upon a small open spot, entirely destitute of vegetation. A signal from the Indian who accompanied me warned me to conceal myself silently amongst the surrounding brushwood. We had only been for a few moments thus hidden from view, when we heard a sound so exactly resembling the cry of a kitten that I concluded we were about to attempt the capture of some small quadruped. The cry was instantly and most exactly imitated by my guide, and he was again answered by similar voices proceeding from every direction. In spite of a sign from the Indian to have my gun in readiness, the first sight of the beautiful birds, whose strange notes had thus deceived me, took me so completely by surprise, that I quite forgot to fire until too late; for after darting rapidly from the bushes, and ascertaining by a rapid glance that they had been deluded by a false cry, they instantly retreated to their former shelter. Before leaving the spot, however, I succeeded in shooting seven of the flock, but was not fortunate enough to see them perform the peculiar dances and evolutions I had heard described by my brother and my Indian guide." We will give our readers a description of the strange and interesting spectacle here alluded to, as afterwards witnessed by himself; in the same naturalist's own words:—"Having at last attained a suitable spot, we listened breathlessly for the cry of the birds, and my guides having ascertained exactly where they were amusing themselves, I was noiselessly conducted behind some bushes close to their ball-room, and after we had lain ourselves flat on the ground, saw one Of the most attractive and extraordinary sights I ever beheld. Some twenty of these glorious birds were seated upon the stones and rocks around a small open space, in the centre of which a solitary male was dancing vigorously, and performing a great variety of evolutions, alternately springing repeatedly with both feet from the ground, spreading his wings, and moving his head, with most comical gestures, from side to side, waving his tail like a wheel through the air, and then, when nearly exhausted by his long-sustained exertions, concluding by walking coquettishly around the open space, as though desirous to receive the applause of the spectators, which the females expressed by uttering a very peculiar cry. One after another the males came down and took their turn in amusing the company, each going back to his seat before another performer commenced. So completely absorbed was I in watching these strange evolutions, that I had entirely forgotten my Indian companions, and was much startled when a sudden shot was heard, and four of these beautiful birds fell. The rest of the party at once rose in great terror, leaving their companions dead upon the ground."