VIOLET PLAflTAlN-EATER. 219 



It was in the forests of Acra on the Gold Coast, 

 that M. Isert, a Prussian naturalist, first discovered 

 the Musophaga ;* hut he ohserves that it is so rare 

 in that part of Africa, that notwithstanding all his 

 efforts, he could only ohtain a single specimen, 

 More recently, however, the hunters towards Senegal 

 seem to have discovered some particular district 

 where these hirds are less scarce ; and as whatsoever 

 is rare or costly finds its way to England, our mu- 

 seums have heen enriched with several specimens. 

 No less than three in the highest preservation are 

 now hefore us, and we shall at once proceed to 

 describe the plumage and notice some particulars 

 of the structure. 



The assertion which has so generally heen made, 

 that this hird has the power of placing one of its 

 toes either backward or forward, is completely er- 

 roneous. This error has no doubt originated from 

 a partial inspection of the foot in the mounted spe- 

 cimens of museums, where of course the toes remain 

 as disposed by the bird-stuffer, and cannot be dis- 

 placed, much less relaxed by the inquirer. Dr. Shaw, 

 who first made known the bird in England, con- 

 fesses that he made his description from a drawing 

 wherein the toes were placed in pairs, that is, two 

 before and two behind. But Isert, whose original 



* The effrontery with which some of the German nomen- 

 clators have endeavoured to set aside this name for one of 

 their own, is unexampled in science ; such synonyms should 

 never be even quoted, the best punishment their authors can 

 receive. 



