Photo by S. G. Payne & Son, Aylesbury. Printed at Lyons, France. The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Living Animals of the World Vol 2 of 2, by C. J. Cornish and F. C. Selous and Harry Johnston and Louis Wain and and others This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. Title: The Living Animals of the World Vol 2 of 2 A Popular Natural History Author: C. J. Cornish F. C. Selous Harry Johnston Louis Wain and others Release Date: November 17, 2019 [EBook #60718] Language: English Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD, VOL 2 *** Produced by Chris Curnow, Keith Edkins and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) CASSOWARY. CASSOWARY. The female Cassowary is larger than her mate, and her colouring is of equal brilliancy. THE . . LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD A POPULAR NATURAL HISTORY AN INTERESTING DESCRIPTION OF BEASTS, BIRDS, FISHES REPTILES, INSECTS, Etc., WITH AUTHENTIC ANECDOTES VOL. II. BIRDS, REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS, FISHES JOINTED ANIMALS MOLLUSCS, Etc. Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S., Regent's Park BY W. F. KIRBY, F.L.S. SIR HERBERT MAXWELL, F.R.S. W. P. PYCRAFT, A.L.S., F.Z.S. F. G. AFLALO, F.Z.S. W. SAVILLE-KENT, F.L.S., F.Z.S. JOHN BICKERDYKE, M.A. THEODORE WOOD, F.E.S. WITH 643 ILLUSTRATIONS (INCLUDING 12 COLOURED PLATES) FROM PHOTOGRAPHS x-smaller sp1 m025 London: HUTCHINSON & CO., Paternoster Row PRINTED BY HAZELL, WATSON AND VINEY, LD., LONDON AND AYLESBURY. VOL. II. CONTENTS. BOOK II. BIRDS. CHAP. PAGE I. The Ostrich and its Kindred 385 II. The Game-birds and Rails 397 III. Pigeons and Sand-grouse 414 IV. Auks, Gulls, and Plovers 417 V. Bustards and Cranes 424 VI. Grebes and Divers, Penguins, and Tube-nosed Birds 428 VII. Storks, Herons, and Pelican Tribe 435 VIII. Screamers, Ducks, Geese, and Swans 456 IX. Birds of Prey and Owls 464 X. Night-jars, Swifts, and Humming-birds 481 XI. Parrots, Cuckoos, and Plantain-eaters 487 XII. Rollers, Kingfishers, Hornbills, and Hoopoes 498 XIII. Bee-eaters, Motmots, Todies, Colies, and Trogons 506 XIV. Toucans, Honey-guides, Jacamars and Puff-birds, Barbets and Woodpeckers 508 XV. Perching-birds 514 XVI. Larks, Titmice, Honey-eaters, and their kindred 526 XVII. Shrikes, Thrushes and their allies, Swallows, Lyre-birds, Chatterers, Broad-bills, etc. 533 BOOK III. REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS. I. Crocodiles and Alligators 545 II. Tortoises and Turtles 551 III. Lizards 563 IV. Chamæleons and Tuatera 581 V. Snakes 585 VI. Frogs and Toads 598 VII. Newts and Salamanders 605 BOOK IV. FISHES. I. Lung-fishes and Chimæras 609 II. The Perch Family 612 III. Scaly-fins, Red Mullets, Sea-breams, Scorpion-fishes, Slime-heads, Tassel- fish, Meagres, and Sword-fishes 613 IV. Hair-tails, Horse-mackerels, Sea-bats, Dories, Mackerels, Sucking-fishes, Weavers, Frog-fishes, Angler-fishes, Bull-heads, and Gurnards 620 V. Lump-suckers, Gobies, Blennies, Barracudas, Grey Mullets, Sticklebacks and their allies, Garpike, and Flying- fishes 628 VI. The Wrasse-like Fishes 633 VII. Pipe-fishes, Sea-horses, Globe-fishes, Sun-fishes, and their allies 636 VIII. The Cod Family 641 IX. Cave-fishes, Sand-eels and their allies, and Flat-fishes 643 X. Eels and Cat-fishes 646 XI. The Carp Family 650 XII. Pikes, Arapaimas, Beaked Salmon, and Scopelids 652 XIII. The Salmon Family 655 XIV. The Herring and its kindred 658 XV. Bony Pike, Bow-fin, Sturgeon, Reed- fish, and Bichir 662 XVI. Sharks and Rays 664 BOOK V. JOINTED ANIMALS. I. The Crab and Scorpion Groups 670 II. Insects 681 BOOK VI. SHELL-FISH, LAMP-SHELLS, SEA- URCHINS, STAR-FISHES, MOSS-ANIMALS, WORMS, CORALS, JELLY-FISHES, AND SPONGES. I. Shell-fish, or Molluscs 737 II. Lamp-shells 744 III. Star-fishes, Sea-urchins, etc. 746 IV. Moss-animals 753 V. Worms 754 VI. Corals, Sea-anemones, and Jelly-fishes 758 VII. Sponges and Animalcules 764 COLOURED PLATES. Facing page Cassowary 385 Crowned Crane 417 Australian Cockatoo—Macaw— Male Ruff in full breeding-plumage —Laughing-jackass 449 Hoopoe flying 481 Waxbills—Indigo Finches 513 Green and Ocellated Lizards 545 The West African Python 577 Western Australian Scarlet Rock-cod —Freemantle Devil-fish, or Armed Gurnard 609 A Salmon leaping 641 Goliath Beetle—Brazilian Bee— Grasshopper—Candle-fly— Australian Robber-fly—Japanese Analophus 673 Crœsus Butterfly of Batchian 705 Portion of Inshore Coral Reef at Thursday Island, Torres Straits 737 ILLUSTRATIONS IN THE TEXT. PAGE Rufous Tinamou, Brazil 385 Rhea and young 385 Rhea and young ones 386 Rhea lying down 386 Rheas in Tring Park 387 White Rheas 388 Ostrich standing beside her eggs 389 Ostriches ten days old 390 An Ostrich Family 391 A group of Cock Ostriches 392 Sclater's Cassowary 393 Nest and eggs of Emeu 394 Young Emeus five days old 394 Young Emeus 395 Emeu 395 Mantell's Kiwi 396 Owen's Kiwi 396 Red Grouse 397 Ptarmigan 398 Capercallie 398 Common Partridge 398 Texan Bob-white 399 Golden Pheasant 400, 401 Silver Pheasant 401 English Pheasants 401 Reeves's Pheasant 401 Amherst's Pheasant 401 Peacock-pheasant 401 Temminck's Tragopan 402 Chinese Tragopan 402 Himalayan Monal 403 Red Cochins 404 Brown Leghorn Cock 404 Silver-spangled Hamburgs 405 Dark Bramas 405 Silver Wyandotte Hen with Pheasant Chicks 406 Peacock 407 Back view of Peacock 407 Black-chested Crested Guinea-fowl 408 Nest of Brush-turkey at Woburn Abbey 409 Turkey Cock and Hen 409 Wallace's Painted Megapode 410 Razor-billed Curassow 411 Crested Curassow 411 Hoatzin 412 Weka-rail 413 Water-rail 413 A pair of young Pigeons in nest 414 Southern Fruit-pigeon 415 Nicobar Imperial Fruit-pigeons 415 New Guinea Crowned Pigeon 415 Wonga-wonga Pigeon 415 Male Black-bellied Sand-grouse 416 White Tern 417 Terns on a shingle bank 418 Herring-gull 419 Young Herring-gulls in the grey phase of plumage 419 Stone-curlew, or Thick-knee 420 Curlew 420 Woodcock 421 Oyster-catcher on its nest 421 Denham's Bustard 422 Great Bustards 422 Indian Bustards 423 Stanley Crane 424 Common Crane 425, 426 Manchurian Crane 426 Wattled Crane 426 Seriema 427 White-backed Trumpeters 427 Great Crested Grebe 428 Black-throated Divers 428 Rock-hopper Penguin 429 Black-footed Penguin 430 Black-footed Penguins bathing 431 King-penguin 432 Nesting Albatrosses 433 White-capped Albatross 434 Carting Albatross eggs 434 Fulmar Petrel 435 Whale-headed Stork 436 White Storks 437 Adjutant-stork 438 Jabiru Stork 438 Flamingoes 439, 440 European Flamingoes 440 Spoonbill 441 Sacred Ibis 441 Young Herons fourteen days old in nest 442 Great Blue Heron 443 Common Night-heron 444 Young Common Herons 444 Green Heron 445 Buff-backed Heron 446 Indian Cattle-egret 447 Common Bittern 448 Egyptian Pelican 449 Crested Pelican 450 Young Australian Pelican 451 Young Pelicans 451 Cormorant 452 Frigate-birds at home 453 Young Gannets, first year 454 Gannet, second year 454 Gannet, full plumage 454 Gannets on the Bass Rock 455 Crested Screamer, or Chaka 456 Aylesbury Duck 457 Pochard 457 Eider-duck 458 Sheldrake 458 Paradise-ducks 459 Cape Barren Goose 460 Australian Pygmy Goose 461 Black-necked Swan 461 Trumpeter- and Whooper-swans 462 Australian Black Swans and Cygnets 463 Condor 464 King-vulture 465 Black Vultures 465 Californian Vulture 466 Secretary-bird 467 Egyptian Kite 468 Australian Osprey 469 Bearded Vulture 470 Griffon-vulture 471 Rüppell's Vulture 471 Angolan Vulture 472 Pondicherry Vulture 472 Egyptian Vulture 473 Wedge-tailed Eagle 473 American Sparrow-hawk 474 Vociferous Sea-eagle 475 Imperial Eagle 475 Crested Eagle 475 Chilian Sea-eagle 475 Rough-legged Buzzard 476 Martial Hawk-eagle 476 Peregrine Falcon 477 Spectacled Owl 477 Eagle-owl 478 Virginian Eagle-owl 478 American Long-eared Owl 479 Tawny Owl 479 Screech-owl 480 Barn-owl 480 Common Night-jar 481 Pennant-winged Night-jar 481 More-porks 482, 483 Swift 484 Edible Swift 485 Ruby-throated Humming-birds 486 Kea 487 New Zealand Kea 488 New Zealand Kaka 489 Black Cockatoo 490 Cockatoo 490 Leadbeater's Cockatoo 491 Macaw 492 Blue Mountain-parrots 493 Young Cuckoo ejecting egg 494 Pheasant-cuckoo 495 Cuckoo one day old in Hedge- sparrow's nest 496 Young Cuckoo 497 Young Cuckoo in Reed-warbler's nest 498 Australian Laughing-kingfisher 499 Kingfishers at home 500 Laughing-kingfishers 501 Kingfisher 502 Laughing-jackass 503 Crested Hornbill 504 Concave-casqued Hornbill, India 505 Ground-hornbill 505 Hoopoe 506 Bee-eater 507 Racket-tailed Motmot 508 Trogon 509 Curl-crested Toucan 510 Honey-guide 511 A family of Greater Spotted Woodpeckers 511 Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers 512 American Crow 513 Jackdaws 514 Young American Blue Jay 515 A pair of Magpies 516 Cornish Chough 517 King Bird of Paradise 517 Queensland Rifle-bird 518 Red Bird of Paradise 518 Young Starlings 519 Common Starling 520 Meadow-lark (natural size) 521 Hawfinch 522 Young Chaffinches 523 House-sparrows 523 Bullfinch 524 Greenfinch 525 Linnet 526 Skylarks 527 Young Skylarks 528 Nuthatch 529 Marsh-tit 530 Great Tit 531 Coal-tits 532 Red-backed Shrikes 533 Australian Magpie 533 Reed-warbler 534 Song-thrush 535 Young Thrush 536 Blackbird 536 Robin 537 Nightingale 537 Stone-chat 538 A pair of Wrens 539 Common Wrens 539 Young Swallows 540 Sand-martins 541 Victorian Lyre-bird 542 Tail of Australian Lyre-bird 542 Bell-bird 543 Cock-of-the-walk 544 Young Nile Crocodile 545 Young Broad-snouted Crocodile 546 A dead Crocodile 546 A Crocodile 547 A Queensland Crocodile 548 Crocodile, well illustrating the character of the dentition 549 Crocodiles and Alligators, with young 550 A Crocodile from Southern United States 550 Mississippi and Chinese Alligators 551 Asiatic Tortoises 552 European Tortoise 552 Elephant-tortoises from the Galapagos Islands 553 Elephant-tortoise 554 Giant or Elephant-tortoises from the Galapagos Islands 555 Giant Tortoise 556 A Giant Tortoise with a European Tortoise on its back 557 Elephant-tortoise 558 Snapping-turtle 559 Temminck's Snapper 560 Newly hatched Turtles enjoying their first swim 561 Cuban Terrapins 562 Blind-worm 563 Glass-snake, or Scheltopusik 563 Burmese Geckos 564 Madeiran Geckos 565 Flying-dragon of Java 566 Frilled Lizard at bay with expanded frill 567 Frilled Lizard with frill folded up 567 Frilled Lizard running on its hind legs (2 views) 567 Australian Tree-lizard 568 Australian Water-lizard 569 Australian Jew or Bearded Lizards 570 Bearded Lizard 570 A young Bearded Lizard 570 Australian York or Mountain-devil 571 Spinous Lizard, or Mountain-devil 571 A group of Mountain-devils of Central Australia 572 Horned Toad 572, 573 Tuberculated Iguana 574 Small Viviparous Lizard 574 Wall-lizard 574 Banded Iguanas 575 South African Girdled Lizard 575 Arizona Heloderm (Poisonous Lizard) 576 White Monitor 576 Green Lizard 577 Ocellated Lizards at home 577 Röntgen ray photograph of Ocellated Lizard 578 Common Skink 579 Australian Stump-tailed Lizards 579 Blue-tongued Lizards 580 Spine-tailed Lizards, Western Australia 580 Chamæleons asleep 581 A Chamæleon in a rage 581 Common Chamæleon of South Europe and North Africa 582 A Chamæleon shooting out its tongue to capture a fly 583 A photograph of a Chamæleon in the act of catching a butterfly 583 Tuatera of New Zealand 584 A tame Tuatera 584 Dark Green Snake 585, 586 A small Boa-constrictor seizing and devouring a rat 587 Boa-constrictor ready to strike 588 Carpet-snake 589 Æsculapian Snake 589 A group of Garter-snakes 590 Leopard-snake 591 Tesselated Snake 591 Pine-snake 592 Cobra (back view) 593 Queensland Sea-snake 593 English Viper 594 African Puff-adder 595 Diamond-back Rattle-snake 595 Rattle-snake 596 Fer-de-lance Snake 597 Bull-frog 598 American Bull-frog 598 Edible Frog 599 Tiger-like Frog 599 Röntgen ray photograph of Common Frog 600 Ornamented Horned Toad 601 European Green Tree-frog 602 Queensland Tree-frogs 603 Common Toad 603, 604 Common or Smooth Newt 605 Smooth Newt 606 Spotted Salamanders 607 Yellow phase of Spotted Salamanders 608 Australian Lung-fish 609 Bottle-nosed Chimæra 610 White Perch 611 Sea-bass 611 Large-mouthed Black Bass 612 Butter-fish 612 American "Sun-fish" 613 The miscalled Archer-fish 614 Striped Red Mullet 614 Brown Snapper 615 Red Sea-bream 615 Snapper 616 King-snapper 616 Australian Groper 617 Indian Weaver-fish 618 Ragged Sea-scorpion 618 Stone-fish 619 Tassel-fish 619 Sword-fish 620 Snoek 620 Fringed Horse mackerel 621 Horse-mackerel 621 John Dories 622, 624 Long-finned Dory 623 Sucking-fish 625 Larger Weaver 625 Angler-fish 626 Butterfly-gurnard 627 Reel-gurnard 627 Bar-tailed Flat-head 628 Rock Flat-head 628 Lump-sucker 629 Blenny 630 Northern Mullet 631 Red Mullet 631 Garpikes 632 Pipe-fish 632 Flying-fish 633 Spotted Wrasse 634 Satin Parrot-fish 634 Black-spotted Parrot-fish 635 A Wrasse 635 Globe-fish 636 Black-spotted Globe-fish 637 Trigger-fish 637 Coffer-fishes 638 Lace-finned Leather-jacket 639 Spotted Box- or Trunk-fish 639 Sea-horses 640 Whiting 641 Pollack-whiting 642 Spotted Sole 643 Halibut 644 Brill 645 Eels 646 Conger-eel 647 Cat-fish 648 Painted Eels from Bermuda 649 Cat-fishes 649 Carp 650 Gold-fish 651 Pike 652 Pikerel 653 "Sergeant Baker" 653 Beaked Salmon 654 Queensland Smelt 655 Salmon-trout 656 American Salmon-trout from Diamond Lake, New Zealand 657 Smelt 658 Ox-eyed Herring 659 Queensland Lung-fish 660 Australian Pilchards 661 Bony Pike 662 Sturgeon 663 Sterlet 663 Bicher 663, 664 Wollibong, or Carpet-shark 665 Spotted Shark 665 Basking-shark 666 Ocellated Dog-fish 667 Indian Sting-ray 667 Horned Ox-ray, or Devil-fish 668 Whip-tailed Sting-ray 668 Shovel-nosed Skate 669 Painted Skate 669 Barnacles 670 A pair of Barnacles 670 Acorn-barnacle 671 Wood-louse 671 Shrimp 672 Fresh-water Crab 672 Spider-crab 673 Blue Crab 673 Fighting Crabs 674 Egyptian Scorpion 675 Tree Trap-door Spider of Brazil 676 House-spider 676 Garden-spider in web 677 Spanish Tarantula 678 Giant Centipede 679 Giant Millipede 680 Tiger-beetle 681 Ground-beetle 682 Great Brown Water-beetle (male) 682 Black Water-beetle 682 Two Burying-beetles 683 Male Stag-beetle 684 Skipjack Beetle 684 Hercules Beetle flying 684 Cockchafer on daisy 685 Harlequin Beetle 686 Jumping-beetle, allied to the Turnip- flea 686 Reed-beetle 687 Musk-beetle 688 Earwig 689 American Cockroach 689 Stick-insect 690 Walking Leaf-insects 690 House-cricket 691 Mole-cricket 691 Long-horned Grasshopper 692 Cape Grasshopper (female) 692 Egyptian Locust 693 Wart-eating Grasshopper (two views) 694 Dragon-fly 695 Queen Termite 696 Termites 696 Termite's nests in Queensland 697 Termites at work 698 Termites' nest 699 Scorpion-fly 699 Adult form of Ant-lion 700 Large Caddis-fly 701 Saw-fly 702 Marble Gall-fly and gall 702 Tree-wasp 703 Tree wasp's nest 703 Pine-boring Wasp (female) 704 Pine-boring Wasp (male) 704 Ichneumon-fly 705 Ruby-tailed Fly 705 Wood-ant 705 Solitary Ant (male and female) 706 Hornet 706 Hive-bee (queen, worker, and drone) 707 Bumble-bee on everlasting-pea 707 Bees 708 Leaf-butterfly 709 South American Long-winged Butterflies 710 Diana Fritillary 710 Queen of Spain Fritillary 710 Tawny Admiral 711 Caterpillar of Tawny Admiral 711 Blue Butterfly 712 Blue Morpho Butterfly and Humming- bird 712 Large Blue Butterfly 713 Mazarine Blue Butterfly 713 Long-tailed Blue Butterfly 713 Bloxworth Blue Butterfly 713 Large Copper Butterfly 714 Dusky Copper Butterfly 714 New Guinea Golden Butterfly 715 Australian Butterflies 715 Bath White Butterfly 716 Green-veined White Butterfly 716 Black-veined White Butterfly 716 Orange-tip 717 Large Grizzled Skipper Butterfly 717 Swallow-tailed Butterfly 717 Elephant Hawk-moths 718 Luna Moths 718 Polyphemus Moth 719 Cecropia Moth 719 Imperial Moth 719 Cocoons of Cypress-moth 720 Cypress-moths at rest 720 Cypress-moths 721 Cypress-caterpillars 721 Death's-head Moth 722 Day-flying Moth of Madagascar 722 Convolvulus Hawk-moth 722 Great Peacock-moth 723 Polyphemus Moth 723 White Plume-moth 724 Indian Swallow-tailed Moth 724 Shield-bug 725 Juniper-bug 725 Lace-wing Bug 725 Masked Bug 726 Great Water-bug 727 Indian Candle-fly 728 Aphis 729 Scale-insects 729 Cicada and Pupæ 730 Brown Mosquito 730 Hornet Robber-fly 731 Daddy-long-legs 731 Hover-fly 732 Rat-tailed Larva 732 House-fly (male and female) 733 Blue-bottle Fly, or Blow-fly 733, 734 Tsetse-fly 735 Bee-fly 736 An Octopus crouching in a rock-pool 737 An Octopus on its back at bay, left high and dry by the retreating tide 737 Octopods 738 A Tasmanian Squid, or Cuttle-fish 738 Shell of the Pearly Nautilus 739 Shell of the Argonaut, or Paper- nautilus 740 Limpets, Whelks, and Barnacles 741 Shell Beach, Abrolhos Islands 741 Great Clam-shell on coral-reef 741 Giant Clam-shells on the Great Barrier Reef, as exposed at extreme low tide 741 Highly magnified tongue of a Sea-snail 742 A Scorpion-shell 743 Rock-oysters 743 A Queensland Oyster-bank 744 Southern Cross Pearl, valued at £10,000 745 Pearl-shell with group of Golden Pearls 745 Queensland Pearls on Black-lipped Pearl-shell 745 Pearl produced by operation on the animal 745 Common or Short-spined Sea-urchin 746 Long-spined Sea-urchins 747 Thick-spined Sea-urchin 748 Star-fish in water 749 Star-fish, out of water, turning over 749 A young Brittle Star-fish (much magnified) 750 A branching-armed Brittle-star 751 Sea-cucumbers, some with extended tentacles 751 Sea-cucumber, or Bêche-de-mer 752 Prickly Sea-cucumber 752 Black Sea-cucumber 753 Moss-animals 754 Tube-worms 755 Sea-worms, or Nereids 756 Sea-mice 756 Portion of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia 757 A Mushroom-coral fully expanded 758 Mushroom-corals, with the anemone- like polyp expanded 758 Part of the Great Barrier Reef of Australia 759 Portion of a Stag's-horn Coral 760 A clump of Stag's-horn Coral 760 Bleached Corals from the Great Barrier Reef 761 A Queensland Star-coral 762 A giant Anemone from the Great Barrier Reef 763 A giant Sea-anemone 763 Frilled Sponge 764 Reticulated Sponge 764 Portuguese Bird's-nest Sponge 765 Chalina Sponge 765 Cup-sponges 766 Shells of Forams highly magnified 767 Noctilucas 767 Polycysts 768 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD. BOOK II. BIRDS. BY W. P. PYCRAFT, A.L.S., F.Z.S. CHAPTER I. THE OSTRICH AND ITS KINDRED. {385} Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S.] [Regent's Park. Photo by H. Noble, Esq.] [Henley. Photo by H. Noble, Esq.] [Henley. Photo by Scholastic Photo. Co.] [Parson's Green. The Ostriches are a very ancient group of birds, and, judging from what we know of their anatomy, they must be regarded as representing the most primitive of living birds. With the exception of a single group, to be discussed presently, all have lost the power of flight. In some, in consequence, the wing has become reduced to a mere vestige. It is a rule in Nature, we may remark, that whenever an organ, such as a wing or a leg or a tail, ceases to be useful, it undergoes forthwith a slow process of reduction or degeneration, growing smaller and smaller in each successive generation, till at last it may even disappear altogether. The loss of flight has been accompanied by a degeneration in the quality of the feathers—that is to say, their serviceability as aids to flight has been entirely lost. RUFOUS TINAMOU, BRAZIL. RUFOUS TINAMOU, BRAZIL. The tail-feathers of these birds are so small as to appear to be wanting. The size of the members of this group varies much. The largest of all is the African Ostrich; the smallest, of the flightless forms, the New Zealand Apteryx. The ostrich-like birds which have retained the power of flight are known as Tinamous, and are natives of South America. All these are smaller than the flightless Apteryx. RHEA AND YOUNG. RHEA AND YOUNG. Although the wings of the rhea are large, they fit so closely to the body as to be invisible when closed. Tinamous. The Tinamous should perhaps be regarded as standing at the head of the Ostrich Tribe, since they have reached a higher degree of development than any other of its members. They have also preserved the power of flight. In their general appearance they bear a singular resemblance to partridges, though a little careful observation will reveal many points wherein they differ therefrom. They are very confiding and unsuspicious birds—some persons call them stupid on this account—and in the early morning the species inhabiting the Argentine pampas will, observers tell us, come right up to the isolated houses of the settlers, so that the boys knock them down with stones. The delicate quality of the flesh has caused these birds to be highly esteemed as food, and their trustful nature renders them an easy prey, so much so that in some districts they have been almost exterminated. Large numbers are caught by riding round them in a circle and securing them with a noose. Mr. Hudson, who lived many years in the pampas, assures us that the Great Tinamou is one of the sweetest-voiced of the native birds. The song is composed of "five modulated notes, flute-like in character, and very expressive, and is uttered by many individuals answering each other as they sit far apart, concealed in the grass." The eggs of the tinamous are to be reckoned among the wonders of bird life, being so highly burnished as to look like beautifully glazed porcelain. The colour varies according to the species, ranging from wine-red, blue-green, and brown to black. The young are almost as remarkable as the eggs, being clothed with a peculiar down, of great complexity of structure, and resembling in some respects the nestling down of the true ostrich. The Rhea. RHEA AND YOUNG ONES. RHEA AND YOUNG ONES. Although frequently bred in this country, the young do not seem to be easily reared. RHEA LYING DOWN. RHEA LYING DOWN. The breast of the larger members of the Ostrich Tribe is provided with a large horny plate, on which they support the body when resting. The Rhea is a native of South America. It is frequently referred to as the South American Ostrich, and also as the Nandu. The resemblance which it bears to the true ostrich is striking, but it may at once be distinguished therefrom by the fact that it has three toes and a feathered head and neck; furthermore, it is smaller in size, and lacks the conspicuous white wing- and tail-plumes. The tail, indeed, as may be seen from the photographs reproduced is wanting. The rhea must be regarded as standing at the head of the flightless members of the Ostrich Tribe. Its wings, though not large enough to raise its heavy body from the ground, are yet of considerable size. In Buenos Aires rheas are hunted with dogs. If a breeze is blowing, the birds raise one wing, which acts as a sail. This done, they can acquire a speed which makes it absolutely impossible for either dog or horse to come up with them. The only chance of ultimately capturing them is by wearing them out by ceaseless pursuit. A chase of this kind may last an hour and a half. Needless to say, for sport of this kind both horses and dogs must be the best of their kind and in "good form." The natives and Indians hunt them on horseback with the "bolas." The bolas, or balls, used for this purpose {386} {387} Photo by J. T. Newman] [Berkhamsted. Photo by the Duchess of Bedford] [Woburn Abbey. consist of two round stones covered with leather, and united by a thong of about 8 feet long. One of these is held in the hand and the other whirled round the head and suddenly released, when both go whirling madly round till they strike the rhea's legs, around which they instantly twist, and the victim is a fast prisoner. The rhea is in danger of disappearing altogether as a wild bird, owing to the ruthless slaughter which is made upon it for the sake of its feathers. For some years back, Mr. Harting tells us, "the number of birds killed has averaged 400,000 per annum, and, as a consequence, the species has already disappeared from nearly half the territory of the River Plate." On some estates in Argentina the wild birds are driven in and plucked. Like most of the Ostrich Tribe, the male alone performs the duties of incubation, hatching some twenty eggs at a time, the produce of several different females. There are three different kinds of rhea, but they do not differ much one from another. The young are curiously striped. The egg is very large, of a cream colour, and deeply pitted. RHEAS IN TRING PARK. RHEAS IN TRING PARK. In spite of its large size, the rhea is not a conspicuous bird in a wild state, the grey plumage harmonising perfectly with the surrounding pampas. Darwin, in his "Voyage of the Beagle," tells us that when he was "at Bahia Blanca, in the months of September and October, the eggs, in extraordinary numbers, were found all over the country. They lie either scattered and single, in which case they are never hatched, and are called by the Spaniards huachos; or they are collected together into a shallow excavation which forms the nest. Out of the four nests which I saw, three contained twenty-two eggs each, and the fourth twenty-seven. In one day's hunting on horseback sixty-four eggs were found: forty-four of these were in two nests, and the remaining twenty scattered huachos. The Gauchos unanimously affirm—and there is no reason to doubt their statement—that the male bird alone hatches the eggs, and for some time afterwards accompanies the young. The cock, when on the nest, lies very close: I have myself almost ridden over one. It is asserted that at such times they are occasionally fierce and even dangerous, and that they have been known to attack a man on horseback, trying to kick and leap on him. My informer pointed out to me an old man whom he had seen much terrified by one chasing him.... I understand that the male emu in the Zoological Gardens takes charge of the nest: this habit, therefore, is common to the family. WHITE RHEAS. WHITE RHEAS. These are only varieties of the common form, not a distinct breed. "The Gauchos unanimously affirm that several females lay in one nest. I have been positively told that four or five hen birds have been watched to go, in the middle of the day, one after another, to the same nest.... Although this habit at first appears very strange, I think the cause may be explained in a simple manner. The number of eggs in the nest varies from twenty to forty, and even fifty; and according to Azara even seventy or eighty. Now, although it is most probable, from the number of the eggs found in one district being so extraordinarily great in proportion to the parent birds, and likewise from the state of the ovarium of the hen, that she may, in the course of the season, lay a large number, yet the time required must be very long.... If the hen was obliged to hatch her own eggs before the last was laid, the first probably would be addled; but if each laid a few eggs at successive periods in different nests, and several hens ... combined together, then the eggs in one collection would be nearly of the same age. If the number of eggs in one of these nests is, as I believe, not greater on an average than the number laid by one female in the season, then there must be as many nests as females, and each cock bird will have its fair share of the labour of incubation; and that during a period when the females probably could not sit, from not having finished laying. I have before mentioned the great number of huachos, or deserted eggs; and that in one day's hunting twenty were found in this state. It appears odd that so many should be wasted. Does it not arise from the difficulty of several females associating together, and finding a male ready to undertake the office of incubation? It is obvious that there must at first be some degree of association between at least two females, otherwise the eggs would remain scattered over the wide plains, at distances far too great to allow of the male collecting them into one nest: some ... have believed that the scattered eggs were deposited for the young birds to feed on. This can hardly be the case ... because huachos, although often found addled and putrid, are generally whole." The Ostrich. The Ostrich is the giant amongst living birds, the full-grown male standing some 8 feet high, and weighing about 300 lbs. It is flightless, the wings being smaller, in proportion to the size of the body, than in the rhea. But the energy which in other birds is employed in sustaining flight in the ostrich is expended in running, so that it has reached a high degree of speed—no less, in fact, than twenty-six miles an hour. When at full speed, it is generally believed the ostrich derives no small help from the wings, which are used sail-wise. Nor is this belief by any means a modern one, for all of us must be familiar with Job's observations on this subject: "What time she lifteth up her wings on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider." The wings are never used in running at full speed, but are of much service in turning, "enabling the bird to double abruptly, even when going at top speed." In justice to the older observers, however, it must be remarked that ostriches do run with raised wings, but only at the commencement of the run, or in covering a short distance, when the pace may be considerable; but if circumstances demand "full speed ahead," they are held close to the body, where they {388} {389}