AMYDRUS TRISTRAMI, Sdater.' 



Tristram's Amydrus. 



Amydrus tristramii, Sclater in Ann. and Mag. of Nat. Hist., 3rd ser. vol. ii. p. 46S.-Tristram, Birds of Southern 

 Palestine, in " Ibis," vol. i. p. 32. 



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The discovery by the Rev. Mr. Tristram of this truly African form in Asia Minor is a point of consider- 

 able interest to ornithologists ; so much so, in fact, that I hasten to give a figure of the Amydrus Tristrami 

 in the "Birds of Asia," taken from specimens collected by that gentleman, which he has kindly placed in 

 my hands for the purpose. The following notes from his pen greatly enhance the interest of the subject. 



'This handsome bird," says the Rev. H. B. Tristram, "which Mr. Sclater has done me the honour to 

 name after me, I discovered in the Gorge of the Kedron, not far from the Dead Sea. Several pairs were 

 breeding in the rocks among the cells hewn out by the old monks of Mar Saba. In habits and manners 

 they reminded me somewhat of the Grakles of North America, but seem a strictly desert bird. The species 

 ought to be found at Petra, if anywhere. The male has but two notes, but those are of wonderful power 

 and of the richest volume. The roll of his music is something like that of the Organ-bird of Australia, and 

 makes the rocks resound. The nest is placed in inaccessible crevices of the cliffs, and the birds are'bold 

 and fearless, allowing a stranger to approach very near while continuing their song, then suddenly breaking 

 off for an instant and renewing it the moment one stands still. The plumage of the female is much inferior 

 in brilliancy to that of the male ; but she has the same rich chestnut wings." 



Some doubt having arisen in my mind as to the specific value of this bird, the Palestine specimens were 

 submitted to the inspection of Dr. Hartlaub of Bremen, who has paid so much attention to the birds of 

 Africa, and his reply, addressed to myself, was as follows : — 



" There cannot be the slightest doubt as to Amydrus Tristrami being a good species. It is nearly allied 

 to the A.fukipemiis, Swains, (the Nabourop of Levaillant), of South and South-western Africa. The size of 

 both species is the same. The differences are the following : — 



' 1. The beak of A. Tristrami is much longer and more robust than that of A. fukipennis ; it is also more 

 arcuate. The colour of the beak is corneous in the A. Tristrami, and decidedly paler than that of A.fuki- 

 pemiis, which in my specimen is nearly black. 



: ' 2. The tarsi are considerably longer in fukipennis than in Tristrami. The only essential difference in 

 the colouring of the two species occurs on the wing-feathers. 



"A. Tristrami. 



Remiges majores sex primse pogonio ewterno et 

 interno concolores, pallide fulvEe, scapis in hac 

 parte nigris. 



" A.fulvipennis. 



Remiges majores sex prima? pogonio externo 

 ruf(S, interno fulva, scapis in hac parte nitide 



ALBIDIS. 





" The apical part of these remiges is in both species blackish, and the extension of this blackish colour is in 

 both equally or subequally extended. If you want to know anything more about the genus Amydrus and 

 its species, I must refer you to my ' Monograph of the Lamprotornithince' in the last part of Cabanis's 

 ' Journal fur Ornithologie,' lately published. 



" I cannot say if there be any difference in the colouring of the females of the two species, there bein«- 

 only males of A. fukipennis in our Collection." 



The male has the head, upper and under surface glossy purple, duller on the vent ; wings and tail dull 

 black, margined with glossy green ; primaries cinnamon, largely tipped with blackish brown ; bill and feet 

 black. 



The female has the head, neck, and throat dark ashy grey striated with black ; the remainder of the 

 plumage as in the male, but much paler. 



The Plate represents both sexes of the natural size. 







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