1861.] 



MR. A. D. BARTLETT ON THE BAL.ENICEPS, 



133 



Balceniceps that exhibit these singular structures. In the New 

 World form (Cancroma) this structure appears to be most fully 

 developed, this bird having four pairs of these powder- down patches, 



Fig. 2. 



Fig. .3. 



■v* ' 



as shown in fig. 2, which represents the upper, and fig. 3, which 

 gives the lower surface of the body of this bird ; while in the Old 

 World form {Balceniceps) one pair only exist, as we have seen in 

 fig. 1. 



It is worthy of notice, that the true Herons, which inhabit both the 

 Old and New World, and which have generally been regarded as the 

 type of the group, have three pairs of these patches ; the little and 

 certainly aberrant form of Heron, Eurypyga, has only one pair of 

 these down patches ; while intermediate between this bird and the 

 Herons come the Bitterns, in which two pairs of these patches exist*. 



By these remarks one is naturally led to observe the often-noticed 

 correspondence of forms in the Old and New World ; as, for instance, 

 the Ostrich of Africa represented by the Rhea of America, the Camel 

 of the Old World by the Llama of America, the Lion by the Puma, 

 and many other similar representations. 



In the work on ' Pterylographie,' published by Ch. L. Nitzsch, 

 the author, who evidently has paid great attention to the subject, 

 says, that " these powder-down patches are found (but in a much 



* Having had many opportunities of studying the habits of the living examples 

 of Eurypyga and Botaurus, I have observed a striking resemblance in these birds, 

 particularly in the drooping and spreading out of the wings, in which position 

 the beautiful markings upon every feather are finely displayed. I have so frequently 

 seen this attitude assumed by both these birds, that I am satisfied it was not merely 

 an accidental thing. 



