430 THE NATURAL HISTORY [chap, xxxix. 



sufficiently considered, it possesses a number of other 

 curious birds, which in the eyes of the ornithologist 

 almost serves to distinguish it as one of the primary^ 

 divisions of the earth. Among its thirty species of 

 parrots are the Great Black Cockatoo, and the little rigid- 

 tailed Nasiterna, the giant and the dwarf of the whole 

 tribe. The bare-headed Dasyptilus is one of the most 

 singular parrots known; while the beautiful little long- 

 tailed Charmosyna, and the great variety of gorgeously- 

 coloured lories, have no parallels elsewhere. Of pigeons 

 it possesses about forty distinct species, among which are 

 the magnificent crowned pigeons, now so well known in 

 our aviaries, and pre-eminent both for size and beauty ; 

 the curious Trugon terrestris, which approaches the still 

 more strange Didunculus of Samoa ; and a new genus 

 (Henicophaps), discovered by myself, which possesses a 

 very long and powerful bill, quite unlike that of any other 

 pigeon. Among its sixteen kingfishers, it possesses the 

 curious hook-billed Macrorhina, and a red and blue 

 Tanysiptera, the most beautiful of that beautiful genus. 

 Among its perching birds are the fine genus of crow-like 

 starlings, with brilliant plumage (Manucodia) ; the curious 

 pale-coloured crow (Gymnocorvus senex) ; the abnormal 

 red and black flycatcher (Peltops blainvillii) ; the curious 

 little boat-billed flycatchers (Machaerirhynchus) ; and the 

 elegant blue flycatcher-wrens (Todopsis). 



