LAMPROTORNIS BURCHELLII. 



oval, the upper margins prominent. Wings very large, rounded, and when 



folded reach nearly to the commencement of the last half of the tail, the 



tliird, fourth, and fifth quill-feathers equal and longest, the sixth slightly 



shorter, the second and seventh equal and about an inch shorter than the 



longest ones, the first not quite half the length of the second ; the points 



of the inner vanes of the three longest feathers obliquely truncated. Tail 



long, full, and strongly graduated, the two middle feathers longest and 



slightly narrower than the lateral ones ; the external one of each side about 



half the length of the two middle ones, the intermediate ones successively 



graduated between the two extremes. Tarsi strong, anteriorly distinctly 



scutellated, posteriorly entire ; toes strong, particularly the hinder one, the 



lateral ones nearly of equal length and shorter than the hinder one, the 



middle one the longest; claws blunt and slightly curved, those of the hinder 



toes large and robust. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Inches. Lines. 

 Length from the pouit of the bill to 



the tip of the tail 13 6 



of the bill from the gape 1 1 j 



ofthetail 6 9 



of the winas when folded 7 6 



I 



Leno th of the tarsus 



o 



of the outer toe... 

 of the inner toe . 

 of the middle toe 

 of the hinder toe . 



In {he female the tail is rather shorter, in proportion, than in the male ; and 

 the metallic gloss of the plumage, generally, not so brilliant. 



We were aware of the existence of this bird for several weeks before we knew to what 

 eroup it belonged, or even could venture a surmise as to its relations. The great size of its 

 wino-s, and the peculiar appearance it had in consequence when flying, baffled all our conjectures, 

 and the e.\trenie caution and sliyness it observed for a long time ensured it safety, even in the 

 midst of our ouns. It was rarely seen to leave high trees, except to remove from one to 

 another, so that, till specimens were actually secured, we never for an instant fancied it to be a 

 Lamprotornis. It appeared to seek its food, which consisted of insects and fruits, almost 

 exclusively upon trees; on the other hand, the more common species of South Africa obtain 

 much of theirs on the ground. 



If it be essential, in order to carry out the plan of the Creator, that certain birds should be 

 provided with longer and more weighty tails than others of their congeners, it will also be 

 necessary that provision should be made to ensure them against injury or inconvenience from 

 such arrangement. We have indicated a provision in the instance under consideration in the 

 great development of the wing feathers, which can be necessary only to meet the increased 

 obstacles to the bird's progressive motion through the air, created by the length and weight of 

 tiie tail. In almost" every bird in which the last-named organ is of great size, we find the 

 wings also much larger than in species with the same size of body and with short tails. 

 Another species of this genus, from North Africa, Lamprotornis longicauda, furnishes evidence of 

 the fact, and several of the VidiicB of South Africa might also be instanced, as well as nume- 

 rous other birds of difl^erent countries. 



The first specimens we observed were in lat. 26° South, and from thence the numbers gra- 

 dually increased as we advanced to the northward. 



