NYCTIORNIS amictus. 

 DuvauceVs Nightfeeder. 



Sub-order, Fissirostres. Family ? 



Generic Character. 



Bill subfalcated, compressed, margins of the upper mandible folding 

 over those of the lower: rictus excessively wide. Wings round- 

 ed, moderate. Plumage lax, Xow^. 7rt?-5i much shorter than the 

 liallux. Toes and claws as in Merops and Prionites. Nobis. 



Specific Character. 



Green, crown (in the adult) lilach, front of the throat and breast 

 bright red. 



Merops amictus. PI. Col. pi. 310. fig. pcssima. 



Mus. Paris. 



This is perhaps the rarest, and certainly the most extraor- 

 dinary bird, which the recent Zoological researches in India 

 has brought to light. Its discovery is due to a young and 

 accomplished Naturalist of France — M. Duvaucel, now 

 alas ! no more : but who lived to perpetuate his name by his 

 brilliant discoveries, and to enrich the French Museum with 

 the most splendid specimens of oriential Zoology now in 

 Europe. 



The form, habit, and wings of this charming bird, are 

 almost precisely those of Prionites ; while the bill resembles 

 that of Merops. Nothing can exceed the beauty of its 

 lilach crown, or the bright vermillion of its throat. The 

 bill is strong, and marked above on each sides with a 

 sulcated line : the gape is so wide, as to reach underneath 

 the eye. The whole structure of the bird, its round wings, 

 and long'lax plumage, indicates a totally different economy 

 from that of Merops ; and this has been confirmed by Sir W. 

 Jardine and Mr. Selby, who inform us that another beautful 

 species, they have described, feeds during the night. 



Our drawing, scrupulously exact, was made at the Jar- 

 den des Plants. As we find Nijctinomus is a name already 

 appropriated, we have substituted Ni/ctiornis : and we place 

 this group at the extremity of the Fissirostres, adjoining to 

 Prionites among the Scansores. 



Total length ab. 13, wings 5|, tail (beyond,) 3, tarsi 

 hardly | in. 



