880 Zoological Society : — 



Adanson mentions two apparently from the upper parts of the Niger, 

 which he distinguished — ''Crocodile vert du Niger" and " Crocodile 

 noir du Niger." Whether either of these resembles my specimens 

 I have no means of ascertaining ; but Cuvier speaks of African Cro- 

 codiles "qui ont la tete un pen plus allongee a proportion de sa 

 largeur," though he adds, " et un pen plus plate, ou plutot moins 

 inegale, a sa surface." If this prove to be distinct, I would suggest 

 for it the specific designation C. Binuensis, from the name of the 

 river whence I obtained the specimens. 



April 28, 1857.— John Gould, Esq., F.R.S., V.P.Z.S., in the Chair. 



Descriptions of three new and very beautiful species 

 OF Birds, from Guatemala and from the Island of 

 LoMBOCK. By John Gould, Esq., F.R.S., V.P.Z.S. etc. 



Cotinga amabilis. 



Male. Head, lores, line beneath the eye, all the upper surface, 

 lesser wing-coverts, upper tail- coverts, sides of the chest, band across 

 the breast, flanks, vent and under tail-coverts fine verditer blue ; 

 wings dull black, the greater coverts, spurious wing and the seconda- 

 ries margined with verditer blue ; tail dull black, margined exter- 

 nally with dull verditer blue ; chin, throat and centre of the abdo- 

 men very rich purple. 



Female. Upper surface greenish-brown, each feather tipped with 

 greyish- white ; under surface greyish-white, with dark brown centres 

 to the feathers of the breast, upper part of the abdomen, and flanks ; 

 Tent and under tail-coverts dull white. 



Total length, 8 inches ; bill, J ; wing, 4^ ; tail, 2| ; tarsus, |-. 



Hab. Guatemala. 



Remark. — The Cotinga amabilis forms one of the most beautiful 

 members of this lovely genus of birds, and affords the first instance 

 of a species being discovered to the northward of the Isthmus of 

 Panama. It is allied to Cotinga cincta and C. Maynana ; the chest 

 being crossed by a band as in the former, which it also resembles in 

 the black colouring of the under surface of the wing, while it assimi- 

 lates to the latter in the peculiar tint of the verditer blue of the 

 upper surface and flanks. 



For a knowledge of this lovely species we are indebted to the re- 

 searches of George Ure Skinner, Esq., than whom no one has done 

 more towards making us acquainted with the rich ornithological and 

 botanical treasures of the fine country to which this bird belongs. 



Halcyon fulgidus. 



Head, cheeks, back of the neck, back, wings, flanks and under 

 tail-coverts deep black, washed with rich ultramarine blue on the 

 back of the neck, back and wings ; rump-feathers glaucous or chalky 

 .white, with black bases, and with a narrow line of blue between the 



