550 CAPITONID^. 



TETEAGONOPS. 



Tetragonops, Jardine, Edinb. Phil. Journ. new ser. i. p. 404 ; Marshall^ Mon. Capit. pp. xxii, xxiv"; 

 Shelley, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xix. pp. 15, 120. 



Of this singular form two species are known — one, inhabiting Ecuador, a bright- 

 coloured bird of robust build with many of the colours characteristic of the Rham- 

 phastidee. This is the type of the genus, T. rhamphastinus, discovered in Ecuador by 

 Prof. Jameson, and described by Jardine in 1855. The other, T. frantzii, is peculiar 

 to Costa Eica and the adjoining parts of Panama, and is fully described below. 



The bill is shorter and stouter than that of Capita, deeply grooved at the base, the 

 nostrils being sunk between ridges ; the culmen is sharp at the base instead of rounded. 

 The tomia of the maxilla has a distinct tooth near the end, and the point of the 

 maxilla, when the bill is shut, rests between the forked end of the mandible. 



The sexes are nearly alike in colour, but the male has a long shiny black nuchal 

 tuft, wanting in the female bird. 



1. Tetragonops frantzii, 



Tetragonops frantzii, Sol. Ibis, 1864, p. 371, t. 10'; v. Frantzius, Ibis, 1865, p. 551"; J. f. Ora. 

 1869, p. 363'; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. ix. p. 130*; Marshall, Mon. Capit. p. 3, t. 2°; 

 Boucard, P. Z. S. 1878, p. 47 ° ; Zeledon, An. Mus. Nac. Costa Rica, 1887, p. 123 ' ; Shelley, 

 Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xix. p. 121 \ 



Supra olivaceus, fronte et pileo aureo suffusis, crista nuohali plumis elongatis nifcenti-nigris composita, loris 

 nigris : subtus gutture et pectore toto fulvescentibus, torque pectorali (medialiter interrnpto) cinerea, ventre 

 et tectricibus suboaudalibus olivaceis in medio flavido suffusis ; rostro plumbeo ; pedibus nigricantibus. 

 Long, tota circa 7"0, alsfi 3"5, caudae 2'4, rostri a riotu 8'5, tarsi 1-0. 



$ mari simiUs, sed crista nucbali nigra nulla. (Descr. maris et feminse ex Costa Rioa. Mus. nostr.) 



Hah. Costa Eica, Birris^^, Eancho Eedondo '^ {Zeledon), La Palma {v. Frantzius^, 

 Zeledon^''), Irazu {Rogers), Navarro {Cooper^, Boucard^), Quebrada Honda 

 {v. Frantzius ^), Cervantes de Cartago {v. Frantzius ^, Carmiol \ Zeledon ''), San 

 Jose {v. Jbrantzius ^) ; Panama, Veraguas {ArcS ^). 



This remarkable species was discovered in Costa Eica by Dr. von Frantzius, and the 

 type, sent to the late Prof. Baird, was submitted to Mr. Sclater, who described and 

 figured it in 'The Ibis ' for 1864 ^. The same collector subsequently obtained another 

 specimen near Birris ^. Since then many examples have been secured from various 

 places in the mountainous parts of Costa Eica, where, according to von Frantzius, 

 it occurs as high as 5000 or 6000 feet above sea-level ^, and according to whom it lives 

 socially in flocks, and utters a cry like that of a chicken, whence its local name 

 " Gallineta." M. Boucard ^ found birds of this species in the forest at Navarro near 

 streams. 



On seeing the original type we were inclined to believe that it was a female of a 

 much brighter-coloured male ^ ; but this proves not to be the case, for the female is a 



