﻿8 BIRDS OF THE GENERA SELENIDERA, 



3. Phasidus niger, Cassin. 



Phasidus niger, Cassin, Proc. Acad., Philada., 1856, p. 322. 



Plate 3. Adult male. 



Head naked, but with a longitudinal stripe of short, black feathers, from the base 

 of the bill to the occiput, ending abruptly and with the feathers rather longer at the 

 occiput. Neck before and throat with a few short black feathers, neck behind (below 

 the bare space) densely covered with short black feathers, uniting with the plumage 

 of the upper part of the body. Bill curved, gape rather wide. 



Entire plumage black, very slightly and obscurely punctated, and vermiculated with 

 a lighter shade on the upper parts, and of rather lighter shade on the abdomen. Bill 

 horn color, with the edges of the mandibles nearly white ; legs dark in dried speci, 

 men, naked space on head and neck probably yellow or light red in living bird. 

 Shafts of primaries white on their under surface. 



Total length about 17 inches, wing 8, tail 6 inches. Male. 



Hdb. Cape Lopez, Western Africa. Discovered by Mr. P. B. Duchaillu. Spec, in 

 Mus. Acad., Philadelphia. 



This is the most remarkable bird yet discovered by Mr. Duchaillu. It belongs to 

 the same group as Numida and Agelastus, but is more intimately allied to the latter, of 

 which the only known form is Agelastus meleagrides, Temminck, Cabanis' Journal, 

 1855, p. 356 ; also in the museum of this Academy, through the liberality of Prof. 

 Temminck, by whom it was first introduced to the notice of naturalists. 



According to Mr. Duchaillu, this interesting bird was met with by him during the 

 same journey and at about the same distance from the coast as the preceding, and like 

 it was unknown to the inhabitants at the Cape. He obtained but a single specimen, 

 which is labelled as a male. The general appearance of this bird is not unlike that 

 of Galhphasis purpureas, Gray, from which, however, it Is generically distinct. 



