THRKE UNPUBLISHED PAPKRS BY BLYTH. 247 



the trinomial system must not be imshed too far ; otherwise, 

 almost immediately, our catalogues would be insufferably over- 

 burdened with nominal sub-species, too slightly differentiated to 

 require any formal recognition by name. 



Note. — In the business meeting of the Academy, which ensued 

 after the public session. Dr. Coues introduced a resolution, which 

 was referred to the Council, that a committee of five be appointed 

 to investigate the subject of zoological nomenclature, with 

 reference to the establishment of a more uniform system. 



THREE UNPUBLISHED PAPERS ON ORNITHOLOGY. 

 By the late Edward Blyth. 



No. S. — Fam. Capitonid.e. The Barbets. 

 The second group of Zygodactyli without cajca consists of 

 true perching birds which never climb, and have ten tail-feathers 

 onl3^ They are frugivorous, and especially baccivorous, and the 

 American Toucans alone manifest a considerable predatory pro- 

 pensity ; while some at least of the MusophagidcB subsist partly 

 on insects.* Like the Picidce, they deposit their eggs in the holes 

 of trees, but not of their own forming ; and normally produce 

 four (the larger Toucans but two) white eggs, which seems to be 

 the full complement laid by any of the group. The very peculiar 

 African genus Colius alone differs in nidificating in dense thornj' 

 bushes, where several nests are built together, to the number of 

 five or six. All are peculiar to warm climates, and foreign to 

 Europe and N. America, as also (like the Picidce) to Australia ; 

 but a few species occur in the temperate sub-Himalayan region, 

 and others (chiefly Colies) in the Cape colony. With again the 

 exception of the remarkable genus Col'ms, all the species would 

 appear to be essentially (and even exclusively) of arboreal habit. 

 Few are unadorned with bright colours, and these exceptions are 

 comprised in the African genera ChizJueris and Col'ms among the 



■■' Vide Dr. A. Smith's account of ChizhcBvis concolor (Zoology of S. 

 Africa). Col. Sykes also states of Bucco indicus, " Fruit and insects found 

 in the stomach." Judging from our own experience, however, the Asiatic 

 Barbets would appear to subsist exclusively on fruit ; but of a Cape species, 

 we have been assured by Dr. A, Smith, " that it feeds upon insects, and seems 

 partial to ants," 



