INSESSORES I MENURID^. 229 



brown nuchal patch, becoming darker to the back, from 

 which it is separated by a whitish collar ; the other upper 

 parts plumbeous ; under parts smoky gray. 



The Genus Psilorhinns is represented by the Brown 

 Jay, P. morio, Gray, of the Rio Grande region, which is 

 sixteen inches long, and the wing eight inches. 



MENURID.E, OR LYRE-BIRD FAMILY. This Family 

 comprises Australian birds which in some respects are 

 allied to the Thrushes, in others to the Jays, while their 

 large size has induced some authors to place them with 

 the Rasores. With this explanation, they may, for con- 

 venience, be mentioned here. They are nearly as large 

 as a pheasant, and are distinguished by the remarkable 

 tail of the male, which is composed of three sorts of 

 feathers ; twelve very long, and with very fine and 

 widely separated barbs ; two more, in the middle, only 

 one side of which is furnished with barbs ; and two more 

 external, curved into the form of the arms of a lyre, and 

 whose internal barbs, large and thickly set, form a sort 

 of broad ribbon, while the external barbs are very short. 



PARADISEIDyE, OR BlRD OF PARADISE FAMILY. This 



Family comprises birds peculiar to New Guinea and ad- 

 jacent islands, and distinguished for their wonderfully de- 

 veloped and beautiful plumage. The Genus Paradiscea 

 is the principal one. 



The Emerald Bird of Paradise, P. apoda, Linn., is about 

 the size of the American Robin, marroon color, the top 

 of the head and neck yellow, the throat and around the 

 bill emerald. The sides of the tail have a splendid plume 

 of long, loose feathers of a delicate yellow hue, and on 

 either side of these are two slender shafts nearly two feet 

 in length. 



BUCERID/E, OR HORNBILL FAMILY. This Family com- 

 prises large birds of Africa and India, which have the bill 

 very large, dentated, and generally surmounted with an 



