THREE UNPUBLISHED PAPERS BY BLYTH. 249 



Fam. BuccONiD^ (Barbets). 



These derive their common name from the conspicuous tufts 

 of bristles surrounding the beak in most of the species, con- 

 sisting of a series above each nostril, a tuft at each angle of the 

 gape, and another growing from the chin. In certain of the 

 Asiatic Barbets (as especially Bucco trimaculatus) these vibrissse 

 are much longer than the bill itself, but terminate in fine hair- 

 like extremities ; others want them altogether (as Calorlunnphus) ; 

 while in the American and some African forms the}' are little 

 developed, but in typical Lcemodon — the most characteristic 

 African genus — they are of moderate length, much flattened, 

 and form quite a dense beard under the chin and at the lateral 

 base of the lower mandible, reflected so as to cover half of the 

 under surface of the beak. The bill is usually as long as or 

 longer than the head, robust, conical, more or less compressed, 

 moderately arcuate in some, with one or more strong lateral 

 teeth in certain African genera ; in the Asiatic smooth, the 

 tomise of the upper mandible overlapping more or less, so as to 

 produce a scissor-like cutting instrument, to a greater or less 

 extent. In these, too, the corneous portion of the upper mandible 

 is continued backward to the gape, and thickened towards the 

 gape. The gnpe or swallow of all is very wide. Nostrils basal 

 and exposed, forming roundish or oval apertures, placed in a 

 groove at the side of the ridge of the upper mandible.* The 

 feet are truly zygodactyle, and resemble those of the Toucans, 

 being used for perching only, and for hopping from twig to twig ; 

 these birds never climbing, like the Woodpeckers. The wings 

 have commonly the first, second, and sometimes third quills short, 

 and the next three or four subequal, being of moderate length ; 

 and the flight is sufficiently facile and rapid, though only for short 

 distances from tree to tree. 



The Indian Barbets appear to be exclusively baccivorous ; 

 and when sated with food they commonly ascend to the 

 higher branches of a tree, and repeat their monotonous 

 call-notes, sometimes two or three answering to each other. 



* lu the BhamphastUla the nostrils open backward, high upon the fore- 

 head, and posteriorly to the corneous sheath of the bill; while in the 

 MusophagidcB, except in the singular genus Coitus, they are placed remark- 

 ably foi-ward. 



