144 MEGALOPHUS. 



ment can be given by words. When in a recum- 

 bent state, it is so long as to hang down upon the 

 back and on each side the head ; but when erect, 

 it forms a large semicircle round the crown, very 

 much in the manner of the half of a full blown 

 plant of the syngenesius order ; its colour is bright 

 reddish cinnamon, each feather being tipt with 

 glossy blue-black, and enlarged at the end. The 

 bill, for the size of the bird, is enormous, its shape 

 being like that of Muscipeta ; although somewhat 

 dilated towards the base, it is very flat, and rather 

 lengthened, and so strongly protected, that the 

 bristles at its base reach nearly to the tip. The 

 wings and tail are moderately long; and their 

 structure comes much nearer to those of the Musci- 

 peta than to the flycatchers of the ew World, 

 Finally, the feet are very short, and nearly white 

 the toes rather long in proportion, and the clawg 

 very slightly curved. The ornithologist will readily 

 trace in these particulars many strong indications of 

 the characters of Eurylaimus, to which group, as 

 we believe, this bird constitutes the passage. Its 

 great rarity is no doubt to be attributed to its very 

 local dispersion. 



