Cassell's book of birds; vol. 3Brehm, Alfred Edmund
Science
Cassell's book of birds; vol. 3
Brehm, Alfred Edmund
Birds
The JAVA BROAD-THROAT (_Eurylaimus Javanicus_) is blackish brown on
the upper back, lemon-yellow on its lower portion, and greyish crimson
on the under side; a stripe between the shoulders, another on the
shoulder-covers, and several patches on the outer webs of the quills are
lemon-yellow; the tip of the tail is enlivened by a white line; the beak
is glossy black, except at the culmen and margins, which are greyish
white; the first is yellowish brown. This bird is eight inches and a half
long; the wing measures three inches and five-sixths, and the tail two
inches and one-third.
According to Raffles, the Java Broad-throat frequents the banks of rivers
and the vicinity of water, in search of worms and insects. It makes its
nest on a branch overhanging the surface of the water. Helfer informs
us that a very similar species occupies the tree-tops in flocks of from
thirty to forty birds; and that they are either so fearless or so stupid
as to remain on their perch regardless of the shots that are laying their
companions dead.
THE RAYA.
The RAYA (_Psarisomus Dalhousiæ_), a representative of the above birds, is
recognisable by its moderate-sized, broad beak, which is decidedly curved
at its culmen and hooked at its tip. The short wing is slightly rounded,
the tail long and graduated, and the plumage brightly tinted; the mantle
is bright blue; the top of the head, except a small blue spot, quite
black; the brow, cheek-stripes, a small tuft near the ear, the throat, and
a narrow band at the nape are saffron-yellow; the entire under side is
of a parrot green; the blackish-brown quills have a blue outer web; the
tail-feathers are blue above and glossy blackish brown beneath; the eyes
brown, and beak green, with a black culmen; the foot is dusky greenish
yellow. The length of this species is fourteen inches; the wing measures
four inches, and the tail five inches and a half.
This beautiful bird inhabits India, and, as Jerdon tells us, is met with
in the forests of the Himalayas to a height of 6,000 feet above the sea;
those he found were engaged in seeking their insect prey upon the trees,
either alone or in pairs. The nest, according to the same author, is
a large structure, loosely framed of grass and moss. The eggs, two in
number, have a white shell.
* * * * *
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