APPENDIX. 579 



situations, marshes, the banks of rivers, and tlie coverts of 

 dripping ferns, so abundant in its native country ; like Por- 

 phi/rio, it doubtless enjoys the power of swimming, but would 

 seem, from the structure of its legs, to be more terrestrial in 

 its habits than the members of that genus. 



I have carefully compared the bill of this example with that 

 figured by Professor Owen under the name of Notornis man- 

 telli, and have little doubt that they are referable to one and 

 the same species. 



I cannot conclude these remarks without bearing testimony 

 to the very great importance of the results which have attended 

 the researches of Mr. Walter Mantell in the various depart- 

 ments of science to which he has turned the attention of his 

 inquiring mind, nor without expressing a hope that he may 

 yet be enabled to obtain some particulars as to the history of 

 this and the other remarkable birds of the country in which 

 he is resident. 



Head, neck, breast, upper part of the abdomen, and flanks 

 purplish blue ; back, rump, upper tail-coverts, lesser wing- 

 coverts and tertiaries dark olive-green, tipped with verditer- 

 green ; at the nape of the neck a band of rich blue separating 

 the purplish blue of the neck from the green of the body ; 

 wings rich deep blue, the greater coverts tipped with verditer- 

 green, forming crescentic bands when the wing is expanded ; 

 tail dark green ; lower part of the abdomen, vent, and thighs 

 dull bluish black ; under tail-coverts white ; bill and feet 

 bright red. 



Total length of the body, 26 inches ; bill, from the gape to 

 the tip, 1\ ; from the tip to the posterior edge of the plate on 

 the forehead, 3 ; wing, 8 J ; tail, 3^ ; tarsi, 3^ j middle toe, 3; 

 nail, f ; hind toe, | ; nail, f . 



2 p 2 



