186 CHATTERER. 



As far as we can learn, our first description is that of an adult 

 male ; and that of Brisson not in complete plumage. 



The female has the same bill. In size rather smaller ; the head 

 and neck behind sooty black, or very deep brown ; shoulders, back, 

 wings, and tail, olive-green; throat and sides of the neck somewhat 

 bare, being sparingly covered with small, half white, half brownish 

 yellow feathers ; breast, belly, and vent, dirty yellow ; the two first 

 marked with longitudinal brown streaks ; legs black. 



Brisson describes this sex in having the plumage wholly blackish, 

 with a mixture of brown and green, inclining most to brown on the 

 back, and to green beneath ; the upper appendages on the throat 

 wholly wanting.* 



This species inhabits Brasil, called there Araponga ; and has a 

 loud voice, which may be heard a great way otF; but this is only for 

 six weeks, in the height of summer, in December and January : this 

 cry is of two kinds, one like that of a hammer, striking on a wedge; 

 the other similar to the noise of a cracked bell ;f during the rest of 

 the year the bird is silent. Willughby says, that it is a fat, and well 

 fleshed bird, and nearly equal to a Dove in size. According to 

 Buflbn, the breast has a channel running down the whole of its 

 length ; and the trachea is very large, which may probably account 

 for the loudness of the voice. A pair of these, in the collection of 

 Lord Seaforth, we believe brought from the Isle of Trinidad. It is 

 also in the possession of Mr. Comyns, but is not common. 



* One of these, said to be a female, had the same head, and appendages on the neck as 

 in the first described; neck behind olive green with a blackish mixture on the wing coverts; 

 quills green, edged with olive; on the lower part of the back, and rump a great mixture of 

 white ; tail olive, with chestnut shafts ; under parts of the body dusky white, streaked dusky. 

 We suspect this to be a young male. 



•f Hence called by the English, the Bell Bird. 



