322 AVES. 



Epimachus, CuVi(l) 



The beak of the Upupa and Promerops along with scaly or velvet 

 feathers which partially cover the nostrils, as in the Birds of Para- 

 dise; they are natives of the same countries, and their plumage 

 equally brilliant. The flank-feathers of the male are also more or less 

 elongated. 



Uimpa magna, Gm.; U. sirperba, Lath.; Vepimaque a pare. 



/rises, Enl. 639; Vaill. Prom. 13. Black; tail tapered, thrice the 



length of the body; the feathers on the flanks, elongated, turned 



up, frizzled, the edges of a burnished steel-blue, which also 



glistens on the head and belly. (2) 



Naturalists have distinguished the square-tailed species, Ptiloris 



of Swainson, such as, 



IJp. cdbus; Paradis. alba; Blumen. Abb. 96; Vaill. Ois. de 

 Par. pi. 16 and 17, and better Promer. 17; Vieill. pi. 13, and 

 better Gal. 185, which, for a long time, was placed among the 

 Birds of Paradise, on account of the long bunches of white 

 plumes, which decorate its flanks, the stems of these plumes 

 being continued out, forming six filaments on each side. The 

 body is usually of a violet black, and the feathers on the bottom 

 of the breast have an edging or border of emerald green. It 

 appears, however, that there are varieties with an entirely white 

 body. The primaries of the wing are short, and much less nu- 

 merous than in birds generally. 



pim. magnijicus, Cuv.; Epimaque promejil, Vaill., Prom. 16. 

 Velvet-black; tail, slightly forked; head and breast of a most 

 brilliant steel-blue; feathers on the flanks, long, fringed, and 

 black. 



Epim. regius, Less and Garn., Voy. de Duperr., pi. 28; Pti- 

 loris par adiseeus. Swains. A purple black; top of the head and 

 upper part of the breast of a fine brilliant green; feathers on the 

 flanks, rounded and edged with green. 



The second and smallest division of the Passerinse compre- 

 hends those in which the external toe, which is nearly as long 



(1) Epimachus, the Greek name of a beautiful undetermined East Indian bird. 



(2) I hardly know whether I should place the Promerar, Vaill., 8 and 9; the 

 Promerup, Vaill., 11 and 12, and his Promerops sifflmr, 10, here, or near tlie Up. 

 erythorhynchos. These beautiful birds of New Guinea, which are very rare in our 

 collections, are usually deprived of their feet, which renders it impossible to class 

 them with certainty. 



