Coraciidse of the Ethiopian Region. 187 



tons of this curious Ground-Roller, one of which has passed 

 into my hands ; and I think that a few remarks on the osteology 

 may be interesting. As regards the egg, which Mr. Crossley 

 also sent, I may remark that it is white like that of most Hollers, 

 On Leptosoma a most interesting paper has been written by 

 Dr. Sclater (P. Z. S. 1865, p. 682). This is another wonderful 

 form, peculiar to Madagascar, and has been generally placed by 

 ornithologists with the Cuckoos ; but from the material then at 

 his command, Dr. Sclater conclusively showed that its affinities 

 were Coraciine rather than Cuculine. Since then a capital ac- 

 count of its habits, translated in detail below, has been published 

 by MM. Pollen and van Dam. The curious habit of tumbling in 

 the air, essentially a Roller-like peculiarity, first noticed by Messrs. 

 Roch and Newton, is recapitulated; and an interesting fact is 

 added, that these naturalists found a bird engaged in building its 



r)"D" 



nest in a tree, a fact which further relegates the affinities of the 

 genus to the Coraciicke. Having the genus Brachi/pteracias in 

 view, I would not, as Dr. Sclater proposes, elevate the genus Lepto- 

 soma to the position of a distinct family ; but being separated as 

 it is from all the other genera by the abnormal position of the 

 nostrils (which are situated in the middle of the upper mandible), 

 the thick-set head, and the total dissimilarity of the sexes, no one 

 will deny its right to be placed at the extreme end of the family 

 Coraciidce. When the osteology of Bi'achi/pteracias becomes fully 

 known, I believe that this form will be found to be nearer to Lep- 

 tosoma than any other known genus of the Coraciidce, while Geo- 

 biastes will connect Brachypteracias with Atelornis. This last- 

 named form is the nearest to Coracias ; and the subjoined notes 

 illustrate a few of the osteological peculiarities of these two 

 genera. Not being a practised osteologist, I shall attempt 

 nothing further than a comparison of the two last-named genera 

 with the principal portions of Leptosoma illustrated by Dr. Sclater. 

 It will be remembered that one of the most striking points 

 bi'ought to notice in this gentleman's paper was the fact that in 

 Leptosoma the ala nasi were completely ossified. Unfortunately 

 Dr. Sclater had not at that time a skull of Coracias for com- 

 parison ; but he found that in Eurystomus " a very similar 

 formation occurs, but is not carried to the same extent, the 



