On some Species of the Ramphastidce. 471 



consult Gmelin's edition of the " Systema Naturae," taking it for 

 granted that it is a faithful transcript of Linnasus's original work, 

 without consulting that work itself. Dr. Shaw goes even further 

 in encreasing this confusion, for he describes this bird only as the 

 iJ. tucanus of Linnaeus ; and though he gives Linnafcus's character 

 of that species, he alters them into totally different characters of 

 his own to suit the figure which he has thus gratuitously adopted. 

 He also refers to the bird figured in Petiver's ^* Gazophylacium," 

 [t. 44. f. 13. ], as identical with the species represented in this 

 329th plate of Mr. Edwards, although that gentleman expressly 

 stated that Mr. Petiver's figure accorded with quite a different 

 bird, the species figured in his 238th plate. 



4. R. viTELLiNus. 111. — This bird is very beautifully figured 

 by Mr. Swainson in the 56th plate of his Zoological Illustrations. 

 It appears a distinct and well marked species. To use that gentle- 

 man's words, " the throat is yellowish-orange ; the sides and ears 

 white ; the pectoral bar and tail coverts are red ; the bill is black, 

 with a blue basal belt, the top convex, and but slightly curved, 

 the sides thickened." I have a specimen of this species before 

 me, which exactly agrees with this description, and I have noticed 

 some others which equally accorded with it. 



5. R. TUCANus. Linn. — There is much confusion with respect 

 to this species. The bird which Linnaeus first described under 

 this name, was that figured by Mr. Edwards in his 238th plate, 

 under the name of Tucana rostra rubro^ and which is the 

 species now known as the 2i. erythrorhtjnchus, Gmel. His 

 characters verify his reference. The words ^' Ramphustos rostra 

 rubro carina obtusa albidd^'' distinctly point out that species. 

 This was the R. tucanus of his 10th Edition of the " Systema." 

 In the 12th Edition of that work however, he materially alters 

 his characters and his references. There his specifick characters 

 are " JR. nigricans^ fascia abdominali crisso uropygioque Jiavis.''^ 

 And in his further description of the bird, he adds these marks 

 of distinction, " rostrum fiavescens^ versus basin fascia nigra; 

 collum subtus et gence albce." In his synonyms also of this 

 species, he includes the " Tucana Brasiliensis gutture luieo" of 

 M. Brissou, referring at the same time to the figure of that bird,, 



