HAPALOPTILA CASTANEA. 



THE CHESTNUT SLENDERWING. 

 PLATE XLVII. 



Malacojjtila castanea, Verreaux, Kev. de Zool. xviii. p. 355, t. xix. (1866). 

 Malacoptila castanea, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 106 (1873). 

 Malacoptila castanea, Scl. et Salv. P. Z. S. 1879, p. 536. 

 Eapaloptila castanea, Scl. P. Z. S. 1881, p. 777. 



Supra cinerea, olivaceo adumbrata, alls caud^que extus fasco-nigricantibus ; fronte late alba fascia angusta 

 nigra postice cincta ; subtiis castanea, mento albo ; subalaribus et remigum marginibus internis ventri 

 concoloribus ; rostro et pedibus nigris : long, tota 9*0, alse 4"2, candse rect. med. 3*7, ext. 2*7, rostri a 

 rictu 1*7. Fem. mari similis. 



Hab. in ^Slquatoria et Columbia interiore. 



The present species, one of the largest and most striking forms of the whole group of Puff-birds, 

 was referred by its describer to Malacoptila; but in general structure it seems to be more 

 nearly akin to Monacha. I have therefore arranged it next to that genus, under the new title 

 Eajpaloptila, which I proposed for it at a recent meeting of the Zoological Society of London. 



Very little, I regret to say, is known of this fine bird ; and until quite recently its exact 

 fotria was a matter of some doubt. Jules Verreaux based his description upon a single example 

 in the collection of the late Count Ercole Turati of Milan, stated to have been received from 

 Bogota ; but I have never met with an example of it among the many thousands of " Bogota " 

 skins which have passed under my observation. A more certain locality is the Andean valleys 

 in the vicinity of Quito, several skins of it having occurred in the more recent arrivals from that 

 district. But within these last few years our doubts as to the origin of Hapalojjtila castanea 

 have been set at rest by two excellent collectors, who have themselves obtained examples of it 

 in its native wilds. The late Mr. T. K. Salmon, whose name I have so often already mentioned 

 in these pages, met with this bird near Frontino, in the Colombian State of Antioquia ; and 

 Mr. C. Buckley, a not less energetic and successful explorer of the South-American forests, 

 procured specimens near Imtag, in Western Ecuador. There is no longer any question, therefore, 

 that the area of this fine species extends from the forests of Western Colombia into those of the 

 adjoining State of Ecuador. 



The subjoined table gives the localities and measurements of the eight examples of this 

 species in my collection and in that of Messrs. Salvin and Godman : — 



u 2 



