Tropical nature, and other essaysMacmillan, 1878 - 356 pages |
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Page 106
... birds ' eggs and young birds ; and they are remarkable for the strange habit of sleeping with the tail laid flat upon their backs , in what seems a most unnatural and in- convenient position . What can be the use of their enormous bills ...
... birds ' eggs and young birds ; and they are remarkable for the strange habit of sleeping with the tail laid flat upon their backs , in what seems a most unnatural and in- convenient position . What can be the use of their enormous bills ...
Page 107
... birds , though adorned with rich colours and elegant crests . The hornbills , though less beautiful than the toucans , are more curious , from the strange forms of their huge bills , which are often adorned with ridges , knobs , or ...
... birds , though adorned with rich colours and elegant crests . The hornbills , though less beautiful than the toucans , are more curious , from the strange forms of their huge bills , which are often adorned with ridges , knobs , or ...
Page 108
... bird - fauna , especially as exemplified among the true perchers or Passeres , which constitute about three - fourths of all terrestrial birds . Passeres . - This great order comprises all our most familiar birds , such as the thrushes ...
... bird - fauna , especially as exemplified among the true perchers or Passeres , which constitute about three - fourths of all terrestrial birds . Passeres . - This great order comprises all our most familiar birds , such as the thrushes ...
Page 109
... birds have become largely adapted to these kinds of food ; while the seed - eaters , which abound in temperate lands where grasses cover much of the sur- face , are proportionately scarce . Many of the peculiarly tropical families are ...
... birds have become largely adapted to these kinds of food ; while the seed - eaters , which abound in temperate lands where grasses cover much of the sur- face , are proportionately scarce . Many of the peculiarly tropical families are ...
Page 110
... birds of tropical forests , which rarely or never appear in those of temperate lands . We have intensely lustrous metallic plumage in the jacamars , trogons , humming - birds , sun - birds , and paradise - birds ; as well as in some ...
... birds of tropical forests , which rarely or never appear in those of temperate lands . We have intensely lustrous metallic plumage in the jacamars , trogons , humming - birds , sun - birds , and paradise - birds ; as well as in some ...
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Common terms and phrases
abundant adapted adorned Africa allied Amazon animals ants Asia attract bamboo Batavia beautiful become birds blue brilliant butterflies carnivora causes changes character characteristic climate colour Colours of Animals comparatively conspicuous continent curious Danaidæ Darwin distinct Eocene equator equatorial zone existence extensive fact families fauna favourable feet female ferns fertilization flowers foliage forests fruits genera genus greater green groups habits heat humming-birds hyænas immense inhabit insects Juan Fernandez land larger larvæ leaves lemurs less light Madagascar Malay Archipelago male mammalia marsupials Miocene monkeys natural selection naturalists North northern observed occur ocean ornaments Palearctic parrots peculiar perhaps phenomena plants plumage probably produced proportion protection rays region remarkable resemble sexual selection showy slender sometimes South America species spots structure sun-birds surface tail temperate zones temperature theory tints tion trees tropical trunks Ungulata variation varied variety vegetation whole wings yellow