2J8 



BLACK-WINGED BABBLER. 

 Crateropua airipennts, SWAINS. 



Rufous ; wings and tail black ; head and neck hooded with 

 greyish white, bordered by black ; tail short. 



ONLY one specimen of this new and remarkable bird 

 has yet come under our inspection, and we therefore 

 conclude it is particularly rare. Its form also, no 

 less than its colours, has some peculiarities. In its 

 general structure it closely resembles the two pre- 

 ceding species ; that is, in the shape of the bill, 

 wings, feet, and tail, but the latter member, com- 

 paratively, is very short, for it does not extend 

 beyond the wings more than one inch and a half. 

 Hence, at first sight, it seems so closely allied to 

 Timalia thoracica*. Swains., as even to enter into 

 that genus. The great distinction, however, of 

 Timalia, is its remarkably short and rounded wings ; 

 so short, indeed, that they barely reach to the base 

 of the tail. In the bird before us, this character 

 does not exist ; the wings, although much rounded, 

 and very broad, are quite those of Crateropus, and 

 reach to half the length of the tail ; the inner toe is 

 also rather shorter than the outer, and the claws 

 (especially the hind one) very broad and fully 



* Teinminck describes this bird as a Pitta, with which 

 genus, however, I consider it has no sort of relationship. 



