390 FOREIGN BIRDS. 



Still remains a small niche in the temple of fame, 

 For a few whom we here seek permission to name. 

 The rare Plantain-Eater ( 54 ) of beautiful hues, 

 Consisting of purple and violet-blues ; — 

 The Cream-coloured Courser, ( 5S ) of Europe the 



guest ;-— 

 And the African Fin-foot ; ( 5<5 ) one too of the west ; 



( 54 ) Order, Pic^e, (Lath.) Plantain-Eater. 

 Of the genus Musophaga, (Lath.) or Plantain-Eater, 

 two species have been described. One, the Violacea, or Violet- 

 Plantan-Eater, is a beautiful bird, distinguished by a short,, 

 triangular, yellow bill; tongue entire, stout; toes three before, 

 one behind ; length nineteen inches, of which the tail makes 

 more than six; the top of the head purple; neck, breast, body, 

 and wings, violet ; prime quill feathers purple in the middle- 

 Found in Guinea, and said to live principally on the plantain j 

 it is a very rare bird. 



(55) Order, Grall/e, (Lath.) Plover, the Cream-Co- 

 loured, &c. 



The genus Cursoritjs, (Lath.) or Courser, consists of 

 four species; they differ chiefly from the genus Charadrius, or 

 Plover, in the shape of the bill, which is sharp, bent at the 

 point, and slender. The Europxus, or Cream-coloured 

 Plover, is ten inches long, the general plumage cream-colour, 

 palest beneath; inhabits. Europe, though a rare bird; once 

 taken hi France. The Asiaticus, or Coromandel-Plover, is 

 the size of the preceding. The head and fore parts, as far-as 

 the breast, a reddish-chesnut ; chin white ; back, wings, and 

 tail brown, upper part of the belly dusky, the rest, beneath, 

 rump, and tip of the tail, white ; cpuills black. Inhabits 

 Coromandel. 



( s6 ) Order, Pinnatipedes,(L^/i.) Fin-foot, the African, 

 the American. 



The genus Pteropus, or Fin-foot, of Dr. Latham, coi> 



