Eh\ Sucli's Descriptions of new Brazilian Birds, lit 



great an extent as I had purposed. Before I take my departure, 

 however, I beg leave to add to the descriptions which I have 

 already submitted to you, tliose of a few more of the birds which 

 were the fruit of my late researches in Brazil, and which appear 

 to me to be as yet uncharacterized. I do not find any of them 

 referred to in the popular works in Ornithology in this country. 

 But as many Brazilian species have lately been described on the 

 continent, in works which are not to be met with in any of the 

 public libraries in this metropolis, and which from my short stay 

 in England, and my abrupt departure, I have myself not had an 

 opportunity of procuring from abroad, I cannot be certain that 

 I may not have been anticipated by foreign naturalists in some of 

 my descriptions. The birds, however, I must observe, come from 

 a district, which had never, until lately, been explored by any 

 collector of Natural History, and which at the same time, as I 

 formerly mentioned, presents a character peculiarly distinguishing, 

 and favourable both to the constant and occasional assemblage of 

 numbers of the feathered tribes.* And there is therefore some 

 reason to suppose that many of the birds belonging to it are new 

 to science. As a corroboration of the justness of this inference I 

 shall adduce the fact, that of a single genus, (ThamnGphilus, 

 Vieiil.) I procured six uncharacterized species in the district to 

 which I allude, which were entirely unknown to Mr. Swainson, 

 whose ornithological researches in Brazil, as is well known, were 

 carried to a considerable extent; while, on the other hand, of the 

 numerous species of the same genus which were collected by that 

 gentleman in various parts of the same empire, not one occurred 

 to me in the course of my investigations. 



I beg leave to add, that although at present debarred from con- 

 tinuing my observations in your Journal, J hope that I may not be 

 altogether useless to science. The avocations which recall me to 

 Brazil will afford me, I expect, an opportunity of again obtaining 

 information in a field, on which I can scarcely say that I had 

 more than entered during my former residence in South America. 

 I now hope to recommence my labours in that quarter with more 

 extensive information, and more ardent zeal. The knowledge, 

 * See Zoological Journal, Vol. I. p. 555. 



