CHATTERER. 185 



16.— VARIEGATED CHATTERER.— Pl. lxxxv. 



Ampelis variegata, Ind. Orn. i. 367. Gm. Lin. i. 841. 



Cotinga nsevia, Br is. ii. 354. Id. Svo. i. 256. 



L'Averano, Buf. iv. 457. Tern. Man. Ed. ii. Anal. p. lxiii. 



Guira-punga, Raii, 166. 4. Will. 147. t. 38. Id. Engl. 199. t. 38. 



Variegated Chatterer, Gen. Syn. iii. 99. Shatv's Zool. x. 434. 



THIS singular bird is eleven inches long, from the forehead to 

 the end of the tail. Bill black, three quarters of an inch long, very 

 much depressed, flat, as in the Goat-sucker, and very broad at the 

 base, elevated into a sort of ridge on the top, and sloping to a point, 

 which is somewhat bent, and sharp at the tip ; nostrils in a hollow, 

 small, and pervious ; gape widely extended beneath the eyes, and 

 dusky black ; irides blue-black ; the top of the head, including the 

 eyes, and nape, brown; general colour of the body pearly white, in- 

 clining to dove-colour on the back ; tail bluish, or dusky white, three 

 inches in length ; wings black ; on the neck, chiefly before, from 

 the chin to the middle of the breast, spring numerous, narrow, flat, 

 and elongated fleshy appendages, from forty to fifty in number, as 

 thick as a card or parchment, and some of them more than one inch 

 and a quarter in length, increasing downwards as they proceed from 

 the chin, at which part they are very short. In the dead bird the 

 colour appears dusky black, they are curved into various forms, and 

 no doubt, in the living state, must put on a singular appearance ; the 

 wings, when closed, reach to about the middle of the tail ; legs stout 

 and black, with claws hooked and pale. 



Brisson's description* says, the head is dark brown ; neck, breast, 

 belly, back, and thighs, ash-colour, with a mixture of black on the 

 back, and of green on the rump ; lesser wing coverts black ; the 

 greater black, and dull green mixed ; tail three inches long, much 

 as the quills in colour. 



* Brisson refers for a figure to Willughby and Marcgrave, which is most wretched, but 

 we believe the only one extant. 



VOL. V. B B 



