﻿JOURNAL 



F THE 



ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 



OF PHILADELPHIA. 



Aet. I. — Descriptions of new species of Birds of 'the genera Selenidera, Gould, and Numida, 

 Linnceus ; and of a new genus and species of Rasorial bird in the Museum of the 

 Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. 



By John Cassin. 



1. Selenidera spectabilis, Cassin. 



Selenidera spectabilis, Cassin, Proc. Acad,, Philada., 1857, p. 214. 



Plate 1, Adult male. 



Belongs to the same group of species as Selenidera piperivora, (Linnoeus,) Gould, 

 Monograph of Rhamphastidse, pi. 36, (second edition,) and resembles it and other 

 species of the same genus in general colors, but has the bill unusually large, and colored 

 somewhat similar to the bill of Ramphastos ambiguus, Swainson, Gould, Monog., pi. 5. 

 Rather larger than S. piperivora, or any other known species of this genus. 



Colors of the upper mandible divided obliquely by a line running from below the 

 nostril to the edge of the mandible, about one third of its length from the tip ; upper 

 portion and tip of upper mandible light greenish yellow, nearly pure yellow at the tip ; 

 lower portion and entire under mandible dark fuscous green, lighter at base. Bill at 

 its base with an edging of black, as in some species of Rhamphastos. 



Male. Head, neck, breast and abdomen, glossy black. Auricular feathers, light 

 yellow ; spaces on the sides deep orange yellow ; tibiae dark chesnut, under tail 

 coverts scarlet. Upper parts of body, wings and tail, olive green ; darker, and tinged 

 with bluish ashy on the tail. Quills with their outer edges tinged with yellow, and 

 their inner edges yellowish white, which is the color, also, of the under wing coverts. 



Female. Head above dark chestnut ; under tail coverts scarlet, mixed with 

 vol. iv. 2 



