passerin.^. 273 



Philedon.(I) 



Their beak is compressed, slightly arcuated throughoat its length, 

 and emarginate near the point; nostrils large, and covered by a car- 

 tilaginous scalej their tongue terminated by a pencil of hairs. 



The species, generally remarkable for some singularity of con- 

 formation, have been bandied about by authors in all kinds of genera. 



Some of them have fleshy bobs at the base of the beak. (2) 



In others, portions of the skin on the cheeks are divested of feath- 

 ers.(3) 



Even in those which are completely feathered, w^e still observe, at 

 times, a singular disposition of the plumage. (4) 



(1) Commerson had an idea of thus naming the Polochion [Merops moluccensis, 

 Gm.), which is of this genus. See BufF. Hist, des Ois. , VI, 4to, p. 477. VielUot 

 places the greater number of these birds in his genus Polochion, and in Latin he pre- 

 fers calling it Philemon rather than Philedon, Gal. 189. The genus Melipuaga of 

 Lewin also is comprised in it. 



(2) Here comes the New Holland bird called by Daudin, Ornlth. II, pi xvi, Pie 

 a pendeloques, or Corvus paradoxus, Vieill- Gal. 24, the same as the Merops canmcu- 

 latus of Phillip., of Latham and of Shaw, but which has not the feet of a Merops, 

 and whose beak is notched, the tongue pencillated, and nostrils without feathers. 

 The Sturnus carunculatus, Lath, and Gm., or Gracida carunculata, Daud. and Shaw 

 (Lath. Syn., Ill, pi. xxxvi), and the Certhia carunculata, Lath, and Gm. (Vieill. 

 Ois. Dor., II, pi. Ixix), also appear to me to belong to it. The latter bird, it is 

 said, sings delightfully, and belongs to the Friendly Islands. It is from this sub- 

 division that Vieillot has taken his genus Ckeadiok , Gal. 94. 



(3) The Merops phrygius of ShsiW, Gen. Zool. VHI, pi. xx; the Goruck, Vieill. 

 Ois. Dor., II, pi. ixxxviii (C goruck, Sh. ) ; the Fuscalbin, Id. lb., pi. ixi, (C luna- 

 ta); the Gracule, Id. lb., pi. Ixxsvii, (C. graculina]; the Polochion of BufF. (^Me- 

 rops moluccensis, Gm. )', the Ph. d oreilles jaunes. Less. Voy. de Duperrey, pi. 21, 

 bis, and some new species belong to this division. 



(4) Particularly in the Merops Novae Hollandiae, Gm. and Brown, 111. ix, or Merle 

 a cravatte fris^e, Vaill., Afr., or Merops circinnatus. Lath, and Shaw, Gen. Zool. 

 VIII, pi. xxii. They are the feathers of the ears which become frizzled, as they 

 descend to almost in front of the breast. Melliph. auricornis. Swains. , Zool. 111. p. 43. 



Add Certh. auriculata, Vieill. Ois. Dor. 85; C. Novae Hollandiae, Vo. 7- 

 The species which have none of these singulai'ities are the Certhia xantotus, Sh. 

 Vieill. Ois. Dor., II, pi. 84; C. australasiana, lb. 55; C. mellivora, lb. 86; C, 

 caerulea, lb. 83; C. seniculus, lb. 50. I am even of opinion that the Cap noir, 

 Vieill. pi. 60, {Certhia cucullata, Sh.) belongs to them, notwithstanding the length 

 of its beak; Merops niger, Gm. or fasdculatus. Lath, or Gracula nobilis, Merrem. 

 Beytr. Fasc, I, pi. ii, is still more likely to be one of thern at all events it 

 is no Merops. I also place in this genus tiie Verdin de la Cochinchine, Enl. 643, 

 which is the second Tardus malabaricus. No. 125 of Gm. for the first. No. 51 is 

 a Gracula, Cuv. and the Certh. cocincinica, Sh. Vieill. 77 and 78. Add the Philed. 

 cap n^gre, Tem. {Certhia atricapilla. Lath.), Col. 335, 1; Philed. moustae. {MeU 

 liph. mystacalis. Tern,) lb. 2; the Philed. grivele {Melliph. maculata,T .), CoL 29, 1; 

 Vol. I 2 K 



