THE OSPREY--Distribution--Food--How it Seizes its Prey--Nesting Communities--STRIGES, or OWLS--Distinctions between Hawks and Owls--Owls in Bird-lore and Superstition--Families of the Sub-order--THE FISH OWL--PEL’S FISH OWL--THE EAGLE OWL--Dr. Brehm’s Description of its Appearance and Habits--THE SNOWY OWL--HAWK OWLS--PIGMY OWLETS--THE SHORT-EARED OWL--THE LONG-EARED OWL--THE BARN OWL--The Farmer’s Friend--Peculiar Characters--Distribution 296 THE SECOND ORDER.--PICARIAN BIRDS. CHAPTER VII. THE PARROTS. Characteristics of the Order--The Sub-orders--ZYGODACTYLÆ--THE PARROTS--Their Talking Powers--Sections of the Family--THE GREAT PALM COCKATOO--THE PYGMY PARROTS--THE AMAZON PARROTS--THE AMAZONS--THE GREY PARROT--Court Favourites--Historical Specimens--In a State of Nature--Mr. Keulemans’ Observations--THE CONURES--THE ROSE-RINGED PARRAKEET--Known to the Ancients--Habitat--Habits--THE CAROLINA CONURE--Destructive Propensities--THE PARRAKEETS--THE OWL PARROT--Chiefly Nocturnal--Incapable of Flight--How this Fact may be accounted for--Dr. Haast’s Account of its Habits--THE STRAIGHT-BILLED PARROTS--THE BRUSH-TONGUED PARROTS--THE NESTORS--THE KAKA PARROT--Skull of a Parrot--The Bill 308 THE SECOND ORDER.--PICARIAN BIRDS. SUB-ORDER I.--ZYGODACTYLÆ. CHAPTER VIII. CUCKOOS--HONEY GUIDES--PLANTAIN-EATERS--WOODPECKERS--TOUCANS--BARBETS. THE CUCKOOS--THE BUSH CUCKOOS--THE LARK-HEELED CUCKOOS, OR COUCALS--THE COMMON CUCKOO--Its Characteristics--Mrs. Blackburn’s Account of a Young Cuckoo Ejecting a Tenant--Breeding Habits--The Eggs--The Call-notes of Male and Female--Food--Its Winter Home--Its Appearance and Plumage--THE HONEY GUIDES--Kirk’s Account of their Habits--Mrs. Barber’s Refutation of a Calumny against the Bird--THE PLANTAIN-EATERS--THE WHITE-CRESTED PLANTAIN-EATER--THE GREY PLANTAIN-EATER--THE COLIES--THE WHITE-BACKED COLY--THE WOODPECKERS--How they Climb and Descend Trees--Their Bill--Do they Damage Sound Trees?--THE WRYNECKS--THE YAFFLE--THE RED-HEADED WOODPECKER--THE SPOTTED WOODPECKER--THE TOUCANS--Mr. Gould’s Account of their Habits--Mr. Waterton’s Account--The Enormous Bill--Azara’s Description of the Bird--Mr. Bates’ History of a Tame Toucan--THE BARBETS--Messrs. Marshall’s Account of the Family--Mr. Layard on their Habits 323 THE SECOND ORDER.--PICARIAN BIRDS. SUB-ORDER II.--FISSIROSTRES. CHAPTER IX. THE JACAMARS, PUFF BIRDS, KINGFISHERS, HORNBILLS, AND HOOPOES.