File:The royal natural history (1893) (14784781975).jpg

Identifier: royalnaturalhist47lyde (find matches)
Title: The royal natural history
Year: 1893 (1890s)
Authors: Lydekker, Richard, 1849-1915 Sclater, Philip Lutley, 1829-1913 Frostick, W. B., former owner. DSI Brooks, W. T., former owner. DSI
Subjects: Zoology Natural history
Publisher: London and New York : Frederick Warne & Co.
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

View Book Page: Book Viewer
About This Book: Catalog Entry
View All Images: All Images From Book
Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image:
AUSTRALIAN OWLET FROG-MOUTH (; Uat. size). is white with dusky vermiculations, and the abdomen and under tail-coverts moreor less uniform. This species ranges all over Australia and Tasmania, Gould statingthat he found many specimens and procured the eggs, which are four or five innumber, pure white, and are laid in the hole of a tree, without any attempt at anest. During the day, he says, the bird resorts to the hollow branches orspouts, as they are called, and the holes of the gum-trees, sallying forth as nightapproaches in quest of insects, particularly small beetles. Its flight is straight,and not characterised by the sudden turns and descents of the goatsuckers.On driving it from its haunts, I have sometimes observed it to fly direct to ahole in another tree, but more frequently to alight on a neighbouring branch,perching across and never parallel to it. When assailed in its retreat, it emits a rAX^^^^^>Al^^u*#^?^ iL %firT^7fc n//
Text Appearing After Image:
THE IIOMK OF TUB OIL-CIRD. OIL-BIRD. 89 loud hissing noise, and has the same stooping motion of the liead observable in theowls; it also resembles these birds in its erect carriage, the manner in which itsets out the feathers round the ears and neck, and in tlie power it possesses ofturning the head in every direction even over the back, a habit it is constantlypractising. The Oil-Bird or Guacharo. Family StEATORNITHID^. Forming a family group by itself, the South American oil-bird (Steatorniscaripensis) in external appearance is not very unlike a nightjar; to which groupit also approximates in habits, only coming out to feed in the dusk of the evening.It is, however, more nearly allied to the frog-mouths, having a similar bridgedpalate, although differing in certain features of the skeleton. The plumage is lesssoft than in either the goatsuckers or frog-mouths; while the beak and the formof the wing are not unlike those of the rollers. The tail carries ten feathers, andin the wing th

Note About Images