99 



Odontophorus erythrops. 



Forehead, stripe over and another below the eye, extending beyond 

 the ear-coverts, deep rust-red ; crown of the head dark-brown ; all 

 the upper surface dark chocolate-brown, blotched and freckled with 

 black ; a small spot of buffy-white at the tip of each of the wing- 

 coverts ; throat and upper part of the neck jet-black : in the centre of 

 this black mark, near its lower margin, a few of the feathers are snowy- 

 white at the base, forming an indistinct lunar- shaped mark. Under 

 surface, rich deep chestnut ; feathers of the short tail and the pri- 

 maries brownish black, the outer margins of the latter freckled with 

 buff; thighs and under tail-coverts rayed transversely with black 

 and lighter chestnut ; bill black ; feet blackish horn-colour. 



Total length 10^ inches, bill |-, wing 5f, tail 2i tarsi 1| . 



3. On the Members of the Genus Rxjpicola, and whether 

 THERE be Two or more Species. By John Gould, Esq., 

 F.R.S. 



At present only two species of this splendid group of birds have 

 been characterized, namely the Rupicola erocea and R. peruviana. 

 It is true that several other specific names have been proposed by 

 various writers, such as aurantia, cayana, and elegans ; but I believe 

 these terms all have reference to the first-mentioned species — the 

 Pipra rupicola of Linnseus, the Rupicola erocea of Bonnaterre — a 

 bird sent to Europe, and particularly to France, in the greatest abun- 

 dance from Cayenne. There can be no doubt that the second species, 

 the R. peruviana of Latham, is distinct from the R. erocea ; but 

 there is much doubt as to whether the specimens sent from Bogota 

 be identical with the R. peruviana, since it is not to be found in the 

 intervening country of Ecuador, whence we have long received a 

 splendid bird, which I believe is not yet described, and to which I 

 propose to give the name of R. sanguinolenta. At all events I have 

 signally failed in my endeavours to see a male specimen of a Cock of 

 the Rock from Peru, by which means alone the question can be de- 

 termined ; on the other hand, I have a female or young male from 

 that country, which appears to differ from the females or young spe- 

 cimens from Bogota. In the present state of our knowledge of the 

 subject, it will be advisable to leave the point undecided, and describe 

 the bird from Ecuador, which is at once distinguished from its con- 

 geners by the deep blood-red colouring of its plumage, as compared 

 with the bird from Bogota ; it also differs in its smaller size, and in 

 the relative lengths of its wings and tail. Before describing the R. 

 sanguinolenta, I may mention, that specimens of R. erocea from De- 

 merara, although very similar in colour to those sent from Cayenne, 

 differ considerably in the form and size of the crest, — that of the 

 Demerara specimens being much smaller and rounder, and having 

 the terminal crescent of brown much darker than in the more di- 

 lated crest of the Cayenne birds. 



