69 



saturate /wins, pectore Hneis quibusdam nigris variegato . 



rostra superiore nigra, inferiore, nut apice, flavot pedibus 



pallide brunneia. 



Long, tota 5*5, alii> 3*2, caudse 1*4, tarsi 1*5, rostri a ricta 0*95. 



This Gratfarta seems to belong (<i a species distincl from anything 



yet described. The bird mosl resembling it of those I have met 



with, is G. macularia, of which there are specimens in the Leyden 



Museum ; Imt that is rather a peculiar Bpecies, remarkable for its 



denuded orbits and short, strong hind-nail, while this bird has the 



hind-nail slender and rather long, and is in every respect a typical 



member of the genus. 



Genus novum Agathopus. 



Rostrum modicai Umgitudinu, brevius quam caput, tubulatum, 

 ml mine recto, ad apicem paulutn incurvo, yonyde aseendente, 

 mandibula superiore ad apicem dentata, naribus, prout in om- 

 nibus hujus fami/ice yeneribus, eoopertis : aid- brevUM'ma, ro- 

 tundattBt remiye septima sextam et quintam j»ndo excedente et 

 lonyissiiua, tcrtiu secundaria* aquante : pedes ralidi, tarsis 

 lonyis, antice scutcllis novem regulations, postice seutellis mi- 

 nutis, tecti; unguibus eurvatis, acutis ; cauda modicas lonyi- 

 tudinis, multum rotundata, rectricibus duodecim, extimis <i>- 

 midio brerioribus, ceteris yradatim louyioribus ; tectridbus 

 supra-caudalibus densissimis. 



SJ. Agathopus micropterus, sp. nov. 



Obscure niyricanti-schistaceus, dorso postico cum ventre imo, late- 

 ribus et crisso saturate brunneis, radiis transrersis niyris, in 

 teryo vix apparentibus, subobsolete varicyatis : rostro niyro, 

 pedibus dure brunneis. 



Juvenis. — Radii* trannersu nigris omnino obtectus, gula magis 

 cineraseente, et colon' toto magis brunneo. 



Lung, tota 3*3, alaj 2*3, caudse 1"9, rostri a rictu "7, tarsi 10. 



This curious bird, of which the colleetion contains two examples, 

 vcciiis intermediate in form, as in size, between Merulawis atra and tin 

 Scytalopodes. From the former it differs in the shape of the bill, 

 which is shorter, has the gon\ > curved upwards, and wants the ele- 

 vated feather-tufts on the front; from Scytalopus it i< distinguished 

 by its thicker, stronger and larger bill, longer tail, and lunger tanL 

 These genera, along with Pteroptochus and its allies, appear tO me to 

 constitute a well-distinguished group, tor which, a- I have said above, 



I propose to Use the term PterOptOChida, deduced from the oldest 



and best-known genus (instead of LafVesnaye's name Rhinomydea ) 



according to the orthodox rule for forming the names of families. 

 The distinctions of these birds as a group an- well pointed out in 



tie- Ornithology of D'Orbigny's Voyage (p. 192), ami their moat 

 essential character, .^ is there stated, consists in the covered nostril, 

 only a narrow longitudinal aperture being left, which occurs in ever) 

 species. Thej must certain]) be arranged next to the Formieariidm, 



within the limits of which they have been placed l>\ < ahanis and 



