344 FALCONJDJ3 MACH^KHAMPHUS 



Genus XVIII. MACEUERHAMPHUS. 



Type. 

 Machaerhamphus, Westerman, Bijd. tot de Dierkunde, 



i, p. 29 (1848) ; M. alcinus. 



Bill very weak laterally, compressed anteriorly and slightly 

 keeled ; culmen about one-third the length of the middle toe 

 without claw, gape very broad, head crested, nostrils oblique and 

 slit-shaped, the loreal bristles reaching just above them and some- 

 what thickly developed ; wings long, tail rounded or very slightly 

 forked ; tarsi slender, feathered only at the extreme base in front, 

 the bare portion clothed with small scales. 



Only two species of this curious genus are known, the one here 

 described from Africa and another from the Malay Peninsula, Borneo 

 .and New Guinea. A third species doubtfully distinct from Anders- 

 son's Pern has recently been described from Somaliland. 



537. Machaerhamphus anderssoni. Anderssons Pern. 



Striugonyx anderssoni, Gurney, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1865, p. 618. 

 Machserhamphus alcinus (nee Westerm.), Bartlett, Proc. Zool. Soc., 



1866, p. 324 ; Gurney, Trans. Zool. Soc. vi, p. 117, pi. 29 (1869). 

 Machserhamphus anderssoni, Sliarpe, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1871, p. 501 ; 



Gurney in Andersson's B> Damaraland, p. 23 (1872) ; Sharpe, Cat. 



B. M. i. p. 343 (1874); Gurney, Ibis, 1879, p. 464; Sliarpe, cd. 



Layard's B. S. Afr. p. 798 (1884) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 147 (1896) ; 



Eeichenow, Vocj. Afr. i, p. 596 (1901). 



Description. Blackish-brown above, with grey mottling, the 

 bases of the nape feathers white ; chin and throat white with a 

 blackish-brown central streak ; upper breast variegated black and 

 brown ; breast brown ; abdomen and under tail-coverts (which are 

 very long) white, the latter tipped with dark brown ; tail-feathers 

 dark brown with narrow white tips and narrow transverse bands 

 of paler brown on the inner webs, of white on the lower side ; wing- 

 quills brown with white bands on the lower side. 



Iris lemon-yellow ; bill bluish-lead with black tip ; feet bluish- 

 white. 



Length 17-70 ; wing 13-75 ; tail 7-25 ; tarsus 2-2. 



The female is slightly larger, length 18-2 ; wing 13-9 ; tail 7'5. 



A young bird is blackish- brown throughout, the throat and 

 abdomen mottled with white; tail-feathers with obscure paler 

 brown cross bands ; wing-quills without cross bands. 



Distribution. This remarkable bird was first obtained by Mr. 



