VARIEGATED TODY? 133 



Buffon and other modern ornithologists, though 

 entirely unknown, except from the short descrip- 

 tion and rude figure in Aldrovandus, who says it 

 was brought from India, and that, on account of 

 some resemblance in point of colours, and make 

 of the feet, it has been named an Indian Kingfisher, 

 though much smaller than our Kingfisher, and 

 scarcely larger than a Wren: the bill, he adds, is 

 longish, but slender, and of a black colour: the 

 head very small, which, together with the whole 

 neck, is of a blackish blue: the whole remainder 

 of the body, as far as the tail, is beautified by a 

 mixture of blue, green, and black, but sprinkled 

 over with certain specks of pale green, except on 

 the wings, which are almost entirely green: the tail, 

 \vhich is rather long for the size of the body, is 

 entirely black, except that the edges of some of 

 the feathers, toward the tips, are green j and the 

 feet black. 



Whoever will take the trouble to consult Aldro- 

 vandus, will readily see, from the figure, that the 

 bird intended was a species of Certhia or Creeper, 

 and that Aldrovandus merely calls it a Kingfisher 

 in compliance with the title by which he received 

 it. It has therefore nothing to do with the present 

 genus, and can only serve as a remarkable instance 

 of the carelessness with which works of this kind 

 are frequently quoted. The Count de BufTon, or 

 his coadjutor Montbeillard, observes, that, as Al- 

 drovandus is silent relative to the shape of the bill 

 in this bird, he cannot pretend to determine whether 



