14 A. von Pelzeln on Birds in 



The type of this species, which we believe still remains unique, 

 is now in Elliot's collection ; and though evidently allied (from 

 its straight bill) to P. bourcieri, is eminently distinct from 

 that species in coloration. We may remark that, although 

 Mr. Gould expresses a doubt from what part of America this 

 bird was procured, M. Bourcier, in his original description, 

 without hesitation assigns Bolivia as its habitat. 



Bolivia: {Bourcier) Mus. D. G. E. (type of species). 



II. — On the Birds in the Imperial Collection at Vienna obtained 

 from the Leverian Museum. By A. von Pelzeln. 

 (Plate I.) 

 It was in the year 1806 that the celebrated museum formerly 

 in possession of Sir Ashton Lever and then of Mr. T. Park- 

 inson, was sold by auction in London. Rich as this collection 

 was, its value was further increased by the circumstance that 

 the types of a number of species described by various authors 

 were therein included. The reigning Emperor of Austria, 

 Francis I., resolved, on the report of Director von Schrei- 

 bers, that some of the treasures of this collection should be 

 acquired for the Imperial Museum at Vienna ; and the well- 

 known naturalist Leopold von Fichtel, being about to proceed 

 to England, was commissioned with the negotiation of the 

 purchase. In fulfilling his mission Herr von Fichtel bought 

 at the auction no less than 82 mammals, more than 200 birds, 

 60 reptiles, 73 fishes, and other objects of various classes of 

 the animal kingdom*. Among the birds there were included 

 a considerable number of types, especially of species described 

 or figured by Latham in his ' General Synopsis of Birds' and 

 ' Index Ornithologicus/ by White in the ' Journal of a Voyage 

 to New South Wales/ and by Shaw in the ' Museum Leveri- 

 anum'f. 



Believing that it is of importance to science that the exis- 



* See Fitzinger, " Geschichte des k.-k. Hof-Naturalien-Cabinetes zu 

 Wien,ii. Abth.," in Sitzungsb. d. k. Akad. d. Wissensch. lvii. (1868) p. 1040. 



t Musei Leveriani explicatio anglica et latina, 1792-1796. Published 

 by James Parkinson, proprietor of tbe above museum. I regret that the 



