GEOTRYGON COSTARICENSIS. 45 



Odontophorina, are very scarce ; and it is only because I knew the great 

 rarity of the species that I was able to procure several specimens ; I was 

 quite satisfied when I could bag one in a day's hunting. The flesh is white, 

 and delicious to eat ; it is one of the best birds for the table. 



" When dissecting, I found the crop full of seeds ; T am therefore more 

 certain about this kind of food than about insects, although the probabihties 

 are that they eat insects also. All those which I killed used to go singly in 

 the dense forests ; but it is usually the case that, where one is seen, the other 

 is not far off. 



"The Candelaria mountains begin about four miles from San Jose, the 

 capital; and their greatest altitude is 5000 feet. The birds were killed on ?o-&ci4 ' (Im 

 the other side of the mountains, at an elevation of 2500 or 3500 feet, but 

 perhaps are found still higher. The summit of the one on which they were 

 obtained is covered with a species of oak. 



" On the side of San Jose the plantations of coffee-trees, Indian corn, 

 &c. reach the summit. On the other side, where the birds were found, there 

 are dense forests of oaks, mixed with a great number of other tropical trees ; 

 orchids are very abundant. Many streams spring from the mountain, and, 

 some miles further down, form the Navarro river. The country has a very 

 savage aspect, and deep, broad, hollow roads (called ' barrancas ') are 

 frequent ; these are caused by the rain, which falls abundantly from May to 

 December." 



In Geotrygon costaricensis the sexes do not vary ; I have therefore figured 

 an adult male and a very young male. The latter, as will be seen, differs 

 much in this stage from the adult. 



Description of the young male. — The isabeUine patch on the forehead has 

 not yet appeared. The feathers on the head, like those on the chest, are 

 brown, with black bars ; the same applies to those on the rump. The vivid 

 green and purple of the back in the adult are much fainter ; the wings, instead 



