EDOLICS, Tern. DRONGO, DICRURUS, Vieil.
Bill depressed, and notched at the end, like that of the fly-catchers, but both manbibles slightly arched through their length ; nostrils covered with feathers and long hairs, in the form of whiskers.
Latham, Gmelin, and others, have dispersed the mem bers of this family among the crows, shrikes, and fly catchers, to all of which they are more or less allied ; and on of them has even been stationed among the cuckoos. The African drongos, observed by Levaillant, live in so ctety, and congregate at the close of day. They are very restless and clamorous, feed on insects, particularly bees, nestle in trees, and generally lay four or five eggs.
E. forficatus, Lanius forficatus, Lath. Lanius drongo, Shaw. Fork-tailed Drongo. Greenish-black, with up. right frontal crest, and forked tail ; bill and legs black. Its song, which is strong and steady, is heard only in the breeding season. It hunts for bees, especially after sun set and before sun-rise, when small bands cross one another in all directions, emitting a cry, which Levaillant expresses by pia griach, griach. Native of China, Ma dagascar, and the Cape of Good Hope.
E. muskus, Dicrurus musicus, Vieil. Musical drongo. Black, blended with brown, and bluish-black ; tail mo derately forked. Smaller than the fork-tailed species, and the female somewhat smaller than the male. Its evening and morning song resembles that of our common thrush. The nest is composed of slender and flexible splinters of wood, but with such wide'interstices, that the eggs may be seen and counted from the bottom of the tree. They are usually four in number, and of a white ground, varied with black square spots. Native of the Cape of Good Hope.
Tones, Lin. &c. TODY.
Bill long, formed of two thin plates, broader than deep, with a distinct ridge ; point of the upper mandible straight, di% ided at the extremity, the lower obtuse and truncated; nostrils on the surface of the bill, distant from it base, open, and rou..ded ; base of the mandibles fiarnished with long hairs ; feet moderate, lateral, toes unequal ; wings short, with the fourth quill the longest.
T. viridis, Lin. &e. Green Tody, Green Sparrow, or Humming Bird of Edwards. Green above, breast red. Total length three inches nine lines. A beautiful little species, of the size of a wren, which occurs in many of the West India islands, and in the warmer regions of the American continent. In St. Domingo it is known by the name of Ground Parrot, on account of its green attire, and of its breeding on the ground. It feeds on flies and other insects, which it seizes with much address; is of a shy and solitary disposition, being seldom seen except by itself, or as one of a family, affecting the lonely portions of moist tracts of country, where it is observed to sit with its head drawn in between the shoulders, and apparently so stupid as almost to allow itself to be caught by the hand. Its note, which it frequently repeats, is plaintive and monotonous ; and its range of flight is very limited.
The nest is often placed in rifts of the ground, near the margin of rivers, or scooped out of soft soil by the bird's own claws and beak, and skilfully enough lined with pliant straw, moss, cotton, and feathers. The female lays four or five small bluish-grey eggs, spotted with deep yellow.
Several other species, which were formerly classed with the todies, have been lately transferred to other cate gories.
INIesen-Ent, Cuv. and Tern. FLY HUNTER.
Bill much depressed, broader than deep, often somewhat dilated at the sides ; upper mandible with a sharp ridge, hooked, and ineurved on the lower, and most generally notched ; lower mandible very depressed, pointed at the extremity, the base furnished with long hairs, which fre quently project beyond the bill ; nostrils basal at the sur face of the bill, and open; feet middle-sized, or short and feeble; lateral toes unequal ; wings moderate, the first three quills graduated, and the fourth or fifth the longest.
regia, Todius regius, Lath. Royal Fly Hunter, or Royal Tody. Brown above, whitish, with brown undu lations, beneath ; crest ferruginous, and tipt with black ; chin and eyelids white, bill dusky-brown, legs flesh-co loured. This singular and beautiful species, which is seven inches long, is a native of Cayenne, where, how ever, it is very rare, paradisi, Paradise Fly Hunter, Crested Long-tailed Pie, Pied Bird of Paradise, Sc. Crest on the head bluish-green, body white, tail wedge shaped, with the two middle feathers very long in the male, but considera bly shorter in the female. The body measures about six inches in length, and the tail fourteen. It is, however, very liable to vary; for it occurs of smaller dimensions also, with most of the upper parts pale-chesnut, likewise with the breast bluish-ash, Sc. Hence it has been thrice described by Brisson under different designations ; and hence the Muscicapa /zaradisi, and the Todus paradisia cus of Gmelin, are both the female of the present species. Klein mistook it for a crested thrush, Mcehring for a Monedula, and Linne for a Corvus. Native of the Cape of Good Hope, Senegal, and Madagascar, where it haunts the mangroves, or the borders of rivers, Ste.
pristrinaria, Vieil.; Miller Fly Hunter. Rufescent brown, dashed with an olive tint above, white beneath; bill and legs dark-brown, and eyes of a lively orange. It is called 11/a/inar by the colonists of the Cape of Guod hope, because the incessant chattering of the male much resembles the voice of the mills used in that quarter of the world for grinding grain. It is about the size of the coal titmouse, and haunts thick bushes.
lany more species might here be quoted ; but, as they differ more from one another in colouring than in habits, a long series of mere characters would occupy much space, without conveying any important information to our readers.