Barbets ([Fig. 193]) owe their name to a number of straight hairs which they have upon their beak. They are massive in form, and their flight is heavy. Inhabiting warm countries of both continents, they conceal themselves in thick forests, either alone or in small bands. They feed on fruits, berries, and insects. Certain species even attack and devour young birds. They build in the trunks of trees. The number of eggs they lay is two, sometimes (though rarely) three. Levaillant asserts that the old and infirm Barbets are cared for and fed by those in the enjoyment of all their vigour. He says that, having taken five Barbets in a nest of Republicans, one of which was so old that it could not stand on its legs, and having enclosed them in a cage, "the four healthy Barbets hastened to give food to the one lying in a dying state in a corner of the cage." He adds that the nest whence he had taken them was filled with husks and the remains of insects, which led him to think that the old invalid had been fed a long time by these kind and thoughtful birds. If this is true, it is worthy the attention of moralists.
Fig. 194—Resplendent Trogons (Trogon (Calurus resplendens, Gould).
Trogons, like Barbets, have the bases of their beaks covered with hairs. Their soft and silky plumage glitters with the most brilliant hues, and their tails are extremely long. They very strongly resemble the birds of night by their unsociable nature and melancholy dispositions, and by the solitary lives they pass in the wildest parts of woods. Like them, also, they only go out in the morning and evening to seek the insects and caterpillars which form their principal nourishment. The presence of man does not frighten them; and this confidence often leads to their death, for they are actively pursued for their flesh, which is said to be excellent, and also for their very beautiful feathers. Their name Couroucous arises from the cry which they utter at breeding-times. They inhabit the intertropical regions of both continents. The most remarkable species is the Resplendent Trogon ([Fig. 194]), indigenous to Mexico and Brazil. The plumage of this bird is of a magnificent emerald green frosted with gold: its head is surmounted by a beautiful tuft of the same colour. The daughters of the Caciques in the New World formerly used its feathers in their dresses. At the present time creoles employ them for the same purpose. The most common species is the Trogon mexicanus ([Fig. 195]).
Fig. 195.—Mexican Trogon (Trogon mexicanus, Gould).
Touracos, or Plantain-eaters (Musophagidæ), are African birds, of which the general forms bear some analogy to the Hoccos. They live in forests, and perch upon the highest branches of trees: their flight is heavy and little sustained.
Woodpeckers.
The birds which compose this family are characterised by a rather long, conical, pointed beak, and by a very extensible tongue. They form two genera, Woodpeckers and Wry-necks.
