THREE UNPUBLISHED PAPERS BY BLYTH. 263 



337), is given, which has probably to be added to the species 

 inhabiting the Malayan peninsula ; while B. fuscicapillus and B. 

 tristis, Drapiez (Diet. Class. d'Hist. Nat.), are omitted. Mr. Gray 

 brings all the toothed species of Africa under his genus Lcemodon 

 {Pogonias, Illiger), even such as L. leucomelas (Boddaert, v. B. 

 niger, Gmelin, Pogonias Stephensii, Leach, and B. rubrifrons, 

 Stephens), which has the beak comparatively small and the 

 vibrissse but slight, although among the generic characters of 

 Lcemodon he states—" the base of both mandibles furnished with 

 long bristles." Other African species are referred by him to the 

 American genus Capito, Vieillot. Altogether he gives ten species 

 of LcBViodon, twenty-nine of Mcgalcema (Bucco), fifteen of Capito, 

 and one respectively of Psilopogon and Megalorhynchus, making 

 a total of fifty-six as th-e approximate estimate of the number of 

 species of Bucconidce at present known. 



Of the habits of Lcemodon, Mr. Gray writes : — " These species 

 inhabit the forests of Africa, where they ai'e usually observed in 

 pairs, living on insects and fruits. They select a hole of a rotten 

 tree, in which the female deposits her eggs on the bare wood. 

 On quitting the nest the young form a small band with the 

 parents, and all live together in perfect harmony until they in 

 their turn separate into couples. These birds are so devoid of 

 fear that it is easy to find their nest, it being only necessary to 

 follow the little band towards the evening to the hole where they 

 reside, and to which they always retire to pass the night." This 

 is quoted to invite a closer observation of the habits of tlie Indian 

 species, which, though not gregarious, very probably retire to 

 their holes to roost. Mr. Gray adds, " They sometimes take 

 possession of one of the cells of the large " (compound) " nests 

 of certain Weaver-birds," in a compartment of which M. 

 Levaillant states that he once found an aged Barbet in a helpless 

 condition, which must long have received its food from others. 



Further, Mr. Gray remarks, of the species of Megalaima (our 

 Bucco) : — " They have been observed climbing round and picking 

 holes in a horizontal rotten branch, precisely in the manner of 

 the Woodpeckers, though they do not employ their tail for support 

 while thus occupied. In the interior of the hole is built their 

 nest " (or are the eggs laid on the bare fragments of rotten wood ?). 

 Attention is invited to these pHrticulars. 



According to Capt. Tickell, B. virens [\. grandis) " swarms at 



