PSARIS. cristatus. 
Crested, or White-backed Saris. 
—— ee 
Family Todida.— Nobis. 
Bill lengthened, depressed, boat-shaped. Tarsi moderate, weak, 
the three anterior toes more or less united. Wings and tail 
short. 
Sub-family Psariana.— Nobis. 
Head very large, depressed. Mouth very wide. Bill thick, de- 
pressed, convex above. Feet weak, tarsi rather short, toes 
united at their base, the outer manifestly longer than the 
inner; claws broad, compressed; anterior scales transverse ; 
lateral scales small, numerous. The male generally with a 
spurious quill between the first and second. 
GENERA. 
Psaris. Cuv. Rictus smooth, wings lengthened, the first quill 
much longer than the fourth, tail short, even. 
Type, Psaris Cayanus.—Cuv. 
Pacuyruyncuus. Spix. Rictus bearded, bill shorter, wings more 
rounded, tail lengthened, graduated. 
Type, Psaris niger.—Nob. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTER. 
Blackish brown, beneath pale fulvous, base of the wings with a 
concealed snowy spot, spurious quill broad, crown black, 
slightly crested. 
Psaris cristatus. Sw. in Zool. Journ. 2, p. 354. 
Mus. Paris. Nost. 
rr 
Or this very rare species we know but of two specimens, 
both of which appear to have come from the mining pro- 
vinces of Brazil. The economy of these interesting birds 
has not yet been detected, even by naturalists who have 
lived in their native regions. The indefatigable Azara pro- 
fesses his ignorance on this point, but states some valuable 
information on a species (nearly allied to the Cayenne 
Saris) named by him Le Distingué a téte Noir, which, in 
Paraguay, is a bird of passage: its flight is elevated, rapid, 
and prolonged. ‘‘ Ils ne sont ni farouches, ni remuans, et 
F 
