ORDER PASSERES. 429 



It is from a fine specimen, brought by the circumnavigators 

 M. M. Quoy and Gaimard, from the South Sea Islands, and 

 deposited in the Museum at Paris. It is named by these 

 gentlemen from M. Gaudischaud, the botanist, who accom- 

 panied them in their voyage. This species is found in the 

 woods of the Islands of Rawak and Waigion Marian, and 

 in New Holland. It is about a foot in length. The bill, 

 which is thick and square, is horn-coloured, with a tinge of 

 green on the sides, and is sharp pointed. The plumage is 

 deep black on the head and back ; the throat has a white 

 patch, which passes in a narrow band round the neck, and a 

 white streak also passes through the eye ; the lower part of 

 the back, and the upper ^ving-coverts are bright blue ; the 

 quills are deep blue, tipped with black ; the under parts of the 

 body and tail are red brown. 



Leach's Kingfisher, from New Holland, is from a specimen 

 in the Museum of the Linnean Society. It is whitish spotted, 

 and streaked with dusky ; rump, fine blue ; quills, black 

 edged with blue. 



The genus Todus, which has been said erroneously to in- 

 clude many species, is very limited. The horizontal flatness 

 of the bill forms the principal feature of distinction between 

 it and the kingfisher. The generic characters are sufiiciently 

 though shortly stated before. 



The Green Tody, Todus Viridis, like its congeners, is an 

 inhabitant of America, and its islands. It is a small bird, 

 about four inches long, and is called in St. Domingo the 

 ground parrot, from its habit of being almost always on the 

 ground. The female places her nest, generally, like the king- 

 fisher, in a hole on a river's bank, but sometimes in a mere 

 concavity, of her own making, on the ground, formed of straw, 

 moss, cotton, and feathers. She lays four or five grey-blue 

 eggs, spotted with deep yellow. It is said in Bufion's work, 

 that this bird has, during the breeding season, an agreeable 

 song, but M. Vieillot denies this. It feeds on insects, parti- 



