PDF - Wallace Online

'vi A THEORY OF BIRDS' NESTS 12720. Certhiola. In these pretty little American creepersthe sexes are alike, and they build a domed nest.21. Mynahs (Sturnidae). These showy Eastern starlingshave the sexes exactly alike.They build in holes of trees.22. Calornis (Sturnidse). These brilliant metallic starlingshave no sexual differences. They build a pensile covered nest.23. Hangnests (Icteridse). The red or yellow and blackplumage of most of these birds is very conspicuous, and isexactly alike in both sexes. They are celebrated for theirfine purse-shaped pensile nests.It will be seen that this listcomprehends six importantfamilies of Fissirostres, four of Scansores, the Psittaci, andseveral genera, with three entire families of Passeres, comprisingabout twelve hundred species, or about one-seventh ofall known birds.The cases in which, whenever the male is gaily coloured,the female is much less gay or quite inconspicuous are exceedinglynumerous, comprising, in fact, almost all the brightcolouredPasseres, except those enumerated in the precedingclass. The following are the most remarkable :1. Chatterers (Cotingidse). These comprise some of themost gorgeous birds in the world, vivid blues, rich purples,and bright reds being the most characteristic colours. Thefemales are always obscurely tinted, and are often of agreenish hue, not easily visible among the foliage.2. Manakins (Pipridse). These elegant birds, whose capsor crests are of the most brilliant colours, are usually of asombre green in the female sex.3. Tanagers (Tanagridse). These rival the chatterers inthe brilliancy of their colours, and are even more varied. Thefemales are generally of plain and sombre hues, and alwaysless conspicuous than the males.4. Sugar-birds The males are a beautiful(Coerebidse).blue ;the females green.5. Pheasants (Phasianidse).These include some of themost brilliant and gorgeouslycoloured birds in the world,such as the peacock, gold and silver pheasants, fire-backedpheasants, and many others but the females are ;always comparativelydull coloured, and generally of highly protective tints.