Fig. 265.—The Brilliant Cotinga (Coracina scutata, Temm.).
The Cotinga or Coracina proper is a bird about the size of a Thrush; it inhabits Brazil and Guiana, and is remarkable, during the pairing season, for its brilliant and variegated plumage. It frequents damp localities in the midst of great forests, and its food consists of seeds, fruit, and insects. It is very shy in its nature, and cannot habituate itself to captivity. Its rich colours alone cause it to be admired, for its voice is by no means melodious, and its flesh is too bitter for human food. The most beautiful species are the Pompadour Cotinga and the Brilliant Cotinga ([Fig. 265]).
Caterpillar-eaters (Ceblepyrinæ) owe their name to the source from which they derive their principal sustenance; but they also feed on flies and the larvæ of insects. They differ from the preceding kinds both in their habitat and in the more sombre colour of their plumage. The Cotingas are only met with in America; and the Caterpillar-eaters are not found except in Southern Africa and the Indian Archipelago.
The Chatterers (Ampelidæ) are sociable birds, living together in flocks the whole of the year, except during the breeding season. They feed on buds, berries, and insects; they even catch flies on the wing. They are, nevertheless, extremely indolent, and do not move about more than is necessary to satisfy the requirements of appetite. The greater part of their time they remain hid in the recesses of woods, and are rarely seen; they settle little on the ground, for their gait is awkward and constrained. Not endowed, properly speaking, with any powers of song, their only utterance is a feeble twittering, which, in some species, is very prolonged. The Bohemian Waxwing is noisy at all seasons; and this is probably the origin of the name Chatterer, which is given to the whole genus. They are tamed with great facility, and, as they are adorned with a brilliant plumage, they are often reared in cages. These birds are found in Europe, North America, and Japan.
Fig. 266.—Bohemian Waxwing (Ampelis garrulus, Wood).
The European species ([Fig. 266]) breeds in northern countries, and migrates to Germany at the approach of winter. It is rarely met with in France. It is a very pretty bird, carrying a floating tuft on the top of its head.
Fig. 267.—The Spotted Fly-catcher (Muscicapa grisola, White).
The birds belonging to the Fly-catcher genus (Muscicapidæ) have a flattened and hooked bill, furnished with a projecting edge, and with stiff hair at the base. They are divided into Fly-catchers proper, Tyrants, and Eurylaiminæ.