IRENA PUELLA. 



description, to exhibit clearly the distinctive characters, consisting in the lateral con- 

 vexity, the strongly arched culmen, and the terminal notch of the bill ; in the velvet- 

 like covering of the nares, from which strong vibrissee are protruded ; in the shortness 

 of the legs and toes, and in the weakness of the claws : and it may not be improper 

 to add in this place, a concise comparative view of the characters by which this 

 genus is distinguished from the individuals of the group above mentioned. 



Oriolus resembles Irena in the proportional length of the bill, and in the carinated 

 culmen or back ; but it has this organ less considerably arched, with a smaller termi- 

 nal notch, and a shorter hook at the tip ; the sides are also less convex, and the 

 nostrils completely naked. The tarsi in Oriolus are longer in proportion to the size 

 of the body, and more robust. Pastor has a bill less elevated and arched than Irena, 

 shorter in regard to the head, rounded above with a very slight terminal notch, and 

 a large oblong groove for the nostrils : the plumes covering these, posteriorly and 

 above, are not soft and delicate, so as to resemble velvet, but they differ in size only 

 from the plumes of the forehead ; the legs are stout, and the claws vigorous and 

 strongly curved, indicating different habits, and a different mode of life. Myiothera 

 of lUiger (with which in this comparison I also connect Pitta of Vieillot) differs in 

 having slender and elevated tarsi, and a claw proportionally strong and robust to the 

 hind toe : its bill is also more straight, cylindrical, horny, and thick, tapering very 

 gradually to an obtuse very slightly notched point. Turdus has naked nostrils, and 

 in comparison with Irena, a slender somewhat compressed bill, with an obtusely 

 carinated back, blunt point, and small terminal notch : it has hkewise elevated tarsi 

 and robust claws. 



A reference to the Plate of Illustrations will elucidate this comparison so far as 

 regards the characters of Irena and Oriolus. In letter K the bill of Irena is repre- 

 sented in profile (a), and seen from above (h) : the letter (a) exhibits faithfully the 

 curvature of the bill, the terixiinal notch and hook, the covering of the nares, and 

 the slight lateral groove. 



Letter L exhibits two views of the bill of the oriental variety of the Oriolus 

 Galbula : in this genus the nai-es are naked, the arch of the bill is less considerable 

 than in Irena, and the terminal notch is small: but the best illustration of my views 

 is the comparison of the figures K and L. 



In Letter M two views of the bill of Coracias garrula are given, carefully taken 

 from a very perfect specimen in the British Museum : it requires no further de- 

 monstration to shew that our bhd cannot be arranged in the genus Coracias, of which 

 this species is the type. 



