194 Dr. J. Murie on the Upupidae. 



According to the researches of Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser*, 

 made upon a large collection of European, African, and Asiatic 

 birds, there are but five good species, to wit, Upupa epops, 

 Linn., U. indica, Layard, U longirostris, Jerd., U. africana, 

 Bechst., and U marginata, Peters. As regards specific dif- 

 ferences and validity thereof the subject is not one for me to 

 notice; nor does their capital resume of the Hoopoe's migra- 

 tions and habits strictly fall within the limits of the present 

 paper. My old colleague, Mr. Bartlett, also relates to me 

 many interesting observations on his part, which space com- 

 pels me to omit. He believes Upupa to be related to some 

 forms of the Bucerotidse, if external characters, habits, &c, are 

 to be relied on. 



2. Irrisor. — In a living state, from the accounts of travellers, 

 and in the skin, this purely African group is fairly known. 

 The sternum likewise has been said to approach that of Upupa ; 

 but in other respects, skeletally and anatomically, their struc- 

 tural peculiarities have been a desideratum. It was with no 

 small degree of pleasure, then, that I received from Mr. Sharpe 

 material, though scanty in kind, enabling me indubitably to 

 establish their relationship to the Hoopoes, a point hitherto 

 rather inferred from limited data than absolutely proved. The 

 adage of raining and pouring, in my case, applied ; for almost 

 as soon as the above was acquired, there came to hand from 

 Prof. Newton additional bones, the species and sex in each 

 case being authenticated ; Sharpe's having formed part of Mr. 

 Jesse's Abyssinian collection adds to accuracy. 



By consulting PI. VI. and comparing it with PI. V., the 

 eye at a glance will perceive the similitude and discrepancy 

 marking the individual bones of the two genera. 



The skull of the Red-billed Irrisor (/. erythrorhynchus) 

 being injured behind, the occipital contour is necessarily 

 faulty, although my restored outline, I venture to say, is pretty 

 near the truth. In rough measurement the bill from tip to 

 prefrontal suture (hinge-joint in some birds) is twice the 

 length of the cranium from the latter point backwards. This 

 agrees tolerably well with what obtains in Upupa, its fore 



* A History of the Birds of Europe, Tart vii. Oct. 1871. 



