WHITE-BILLED NUT-CRACK**. 



Dertroides albirostris, SWAINS. 



Entirely black ; bill, whitish ; flank-feathers with a 

 few white stripes. 



Tector alecto, Temm., PI. Col. PI. 446. 



THIS is the largest finch hitherto discovered, being 

 frilly as long as a starling, although not so hulky in 

 the body. The whole plumage is entirely deep 

 lamp-black ; the feathers of the body, under the 

 wings, being partly white. The bill is whitish, 

 particularly hard, and advancing much on the front 

 of the head, where it is swollen and elevated. The 

 wings are short and round, reaching only to the 

 base of the tail ; the latter being rather lengthened 

 and much rounded. The first quill is somewhat 

 Spurious, being only half as long as the second ; this, 

 again, is nearly equal to the third, fourth, fifth, and 

 sixth, which are the longest ; in all this we find a 

 passage between this and the next sub-family of 

 Ploceance, or the weavers. The feet are large and 

 strong, with the lateral and the hind toes equal ; thus 

 preserving the analogy of the genus both to- the 

 Scansores and Rasores. 



