358 



GEOGRAPHICAL ZOOLOGY. 



[PART iv. 



FAMILY 110. PSOPHIDXE. (1 Genus, 6 Species.) 



GENERAL DISTRIBUTION. 



The remarkable and beautiful birds called Trumpeters, are 

 confined to the various parts of the Amazon valley ; and it is an 

 interesting fact, that the range of each species appears to be 

 bounded by some of the great rivers. Thus, Psophia crepitans 

 inhabits the interior of Guiana as far as the south bank of the 

 Rio Negro ; on the opposite or north bank of the Rio Negro 

 Psophia ochroptera is found ; beyond the next great rivers, Japura 

 and Lja, Psophia napensis occurs; on the south bank of the 

 Amazon, west of the Madeira, we have the beautiful Psophia 

 leucoptera ; east of the Madeira this is replaced by Psophia 

 viridis, while near Para, beyond the Tapajoz, Xingu,and Tocan- 

 tins, there is another species, Psophia obscura. Other species 

 may exist in the intervening river districts ; but we have here, 

 apparently, a case of a number of well-marked species of birds 

 capable of flight, yet with their range in certain directions 

 accurately defined by great rivers. (Plate XV. Vol. II. p. 28.) 



FAMILY 111. EURYPYGID.E. (1 Genus, 2 Species.) 



The Eurypygidae, or Sun-Bitterns, are small heron-like birds 

 with beautifully- coloured wings, which frequent the muddy 

 and wooded river-banks of tropical America, The only genus, 

 Eurypyga (2 sp.), ranges from Central America to Brazil. 



