The Rhea lays its eggs and hatches them in the same manner as the Ostrich. They are Birds of a gentle nature, and are tamed with the greatest ease, becoming very familiar in the house, visiting the various apartments, wandering about the streets, and even into the country; but they always return to their homes before sunset.
The family to which these Birds belong takes its name from the Latin words, scandere, scansum, meaning to climb; yet, strange as it may seem, there are many birds belonging to this family that cannot climb, and there are other Birds, especially some of those belonging to the Sparrow family, that can climb and are not classified in this group.
The peculiar characteristic of all the birds found among the Scansores is the formation of their feet. The toes are in pairs, two before and two behind, which enables them to cling to the branches, and climb all about the trees. All the different Birds who have their toes arranged in this peculiar manner are included in the family of Scansores; and although some of them do not climb so readily as others, they spend the greater part of their time perched in the trees instead of flying about in the air. Their flight is medium, not being so strong as that of the Birds of Prey nor so light as that of the Sparrow family.
The climbers do not form a very large family; the most familiar are the Parrots, Cockatoos, Cuckoos, Toucans, Jamicars, Woodpeckers, etc. They live chiefly in warm countries, and feed upon fruits and insects, and the majority are noted for their brilliant colors.
The Parrots have large, strong, round beaks, with the upper part hooked and sharp at the tip, and the under part rather deeply hollowed. The tongue is thick, fleshy and movable, and the feet are perfected to such a degree that they really become hands, able to seize, hold and retain small objects. Their toes are supplied with strong and hooked claws, which make these birds pre-eminently climbers. The Parrots walk with difficulty, and with such trouble that they rarely descend to the ground in their native homes, and only under pressing circumstances. Besides, they find all the necessaries of their existence on trees. They are not more favored with regard to their flight; and we can understand that it should be so; for, living in thick woods, they only require to make trifling changes of place, such as from one tree to another. However, some species, especially the smaller, are capable of a prolonged and effective use of their wings. According to Levaillant, some even migrate, and travel hundreds of miles every year; but this is unusual. In general, Parrots remain in the localities where they are reared.