74 



uncommon," as " only a variety of the Greater Pied Barhet of Dr. Latham," and gives us the 

 following account of its habits, derived, no doubt, from his personal observations when he visited 

 South-eastern Brazil in 1816-1818*. 



"There is something very grotesque in the appearance of all the Puff-birds; and their 

 habits, in a state of nature, are no less singular. They frequent open cultivated spots near 

 habitations, always perching on the withered branches of a low tree, where they will sit nearly 

 motionless for hours, unless, indeed, they descry some luckless insect passing near them, at which 

 they immediately dart, returning again to the identical twig they have just left, and which they 

 will sometimes frequent for months. At such times the disproportionate size of the head is 

 rendered more conspicuous by the bird raising his feathers so as to appear not unlike a puff-ball ; 

 hence the general name they have received from the English residents in Brazil, of which vast 

 country all the species, I believe, are natives. AVhen frightened, their form is suddenly changed 

 by the feathers lying quite flat. They are very confiding, and will often take their station within 

 a few yards of the window ; the two sexes are generally near each other, and often on the 

 same tree." 



Although, as I have shown above, this species is readily distinguishable from the true Bucco 

 macrorhynchus, it remained unnamed until 1846, when Mr. G. R. Gray, in the ' Genera of Birds,' 

 proposed to call it after its discoverer. 



Besides Swainson's notes we have but few records of the observations of naturalists on this 

 Puff-bird. Prince Maximilian does not appear to have met with it at all in the parts of Brazil 

 which he traversed. Although two skins are before us labelled as obtained by Youds at Novo 

 Fribourgo, in the province of E.io, Burmeister tells us that he did not meet with it in that 

 district, but believes it to occur in the dense forests north of the Bio Parahyba, which he 

 did not visit personally. But it was met with by Euler in the environs of Cantagallo, in the 

 province of Bio, and further sovith, in the province of San Paulo, the indefatigable Natterer 

 obtained specimens near Ypanema. According to his notes, as published by Herr v. Pelzeln, 

 the " bill is black ; the tongue long, cartilaginous, thin, flat, of equal breadth throughout, rather 

 pointed at the end, and black in colour ; the naked skin round the eye is blackish grey ; iris dark 

 brown in one specimen, in another carmine-red ; the feet dark grey, with the edges of the scales 

 white, and the claws black." The bird was observed sitting on the topmost branches of dead 

 trees. Hr. v. Pelzeln refers some examples collected by Natterer on the Bio Negro also to this 

 species ; but it is much more probable that they are referable to the true B. macrorhynchus, 

 which was obtained by Natterer in the same locality. 



There would appear to be no external difference between the male and female of this species. 



The skins of this Puff-bird in my own collection and that of Messrs. Salvin and Godman 

 measure as follows : — 



Patria. Lmig. tota, 

 S.E. Brazil. 8-8 



Novo Fribourgo (YoMt/s). 8'7 



Novo Fribourgo ( FoMc?s) . 8-6 



The figure (Plate XXIII.) is taken from the specimen in my own collection. 

 * See, for a sketch of his journey, Edinburgh Phil. Joum. i. p. 369. 



Ko. 



Sex. 



Mus. 



1. 



inc. 



P. L. S. 



2. 



inc. 



S.-G. 



3. 



inc. 



S.-G. 



alae, 



caudffi, 



rostri, 



4-0 



3-2 



1-5 



4-2 



3-4 



1-6 



4-1 



3-4 



1-6 



