On some Species of the Ramphastidce. 481 



as if for exercise after his meal, round the perches of his cage ; 

 and then settled on the highest perch, disposing himself, almost 

 at the moment he alighted on it, in the posture represented in 

 PL XV. fig. 2. ; his head drawn in between his shoulders and his 

 tail turned vertically over his back. In this posture he generally 

 remained about two hours in a state between sleeping and 

 waking : his eyes for the most part closed, but opening on the 

 slightest interruption. At such times he would allow himself to 

 be handled, and would even take any favourite food that was 

 offered him, without altering his posture further than by a gentle 

 turn of the head. He would also suffer his tail to be replaced by 

 the hand in its natural downward posture, and would then imme- 

 diately return it again to its vertical position. In these move- 

 ments the tail seemed to turn as if on a hinge that was operated 

 upon by a spring. At the end of about two hours he began 

 gradually to turn his bill over his right shoulder, and to nestle it 

 among the feathers of his back, as is represented in fig. 3. ; some- 

 times concealing it completely within the plumage, at other times 

 leaving a slight portion of the culmen exposed. At the same time 

 he drooped the feathers of his wings and those of the thigh 

 tioverts, so as to encompass the legs and feet : and thus nearly 

 assuming the appearance of an oval ball of feathers, he secured 

 himself against all exposure to cold. 



Genus. Pteroglossus. 111. 



I do not find any description that exactly corresponds with the 

 following bird, of which a fine specimen is in my possession. I 

 obtained it some short time back at an auction of birds, without 

 any notice of its locality. 



BiTORQUATUs. Pt. oUvaceO'Viridis^ capite nigro^ gul& guttureque 

 castanets^ hoc suhtus m'gro-margmatoy torque pectorali an- 

 gusid abdomine crissoque sulphureis^ pectore nucha uropy- 

 gioque coccineis : mandibula superiore flavo-albescente^ iri' 

 feriore albida fascia obliqud apicali nigra, 



Supp. PI. 17. 

 Vol. II. 2 H 



