146 



The White-winged Nunbird was one of the first South-American birds known to scientific 

 naturalists. Although not included in Linnseus's ' Systema Naturae,' it was described by Buffon 

 and Latham, and figured by Daubenton and Levaillant. As regards its correct classical name 

 there has unfortunately been some diversity of opinion. The specific term tranquilla (one of 

 three given to it by Gmelin in 1788) was generally adopted until G. R. Gray made the unhappy 

 discovery that Boddaert's scientific names for the species figured in the ' Planches Enluminees ' 

 had been published two years previously to the issue of Gmelin's work. Thenceforward Boddaert's 

 "a^r«" took its place. But Boddaert's name was in its turn superseded when Cassin in 1864* 

 called attention to the existence of P. L. S. Miiller's supplementary volume to his edition of the 

 ' Systema Natures,' and showed that Miiller's names published in 1776 were strictly entitled to 

 recognition. It seems, therefore, that '■^Monacha nigra (P. L. S. Miiller) " is the proper title of 

 this species for those who follow the Stricklandian code of nomenclature. 



The older authors give us but few details concerning this bird. It may be worth while, 

 however, to extract the following passage from Levaillant's article on it : — 



" L'espece du Barbacou a bee rouge habite la Guyane frangaise et hollandaise : il est fort 

 commun a Cayenne, d'ou on I'a expedie en si grand nombre en Europe qu'il n'est presque pas 

 un cabinet dans cette partie du monde oii on ne le trouve. Cinq individus de cette meme 

 espece, apportes de Surinam dans le tafia, ou. ils etoient restes trente-sept ans lorsque je les en 

 retirai pour en faire la dissection et en reconnoitre les sexes, n'avoient que peu perdu de I'eclat 

 du rouge de leur bee ; ce qui prouve encore combien cette couleur est profondement gravee dans 

 la matiere cornee de cette partie de I'oiseau, tandis quelle s'efiace si vite chez les autres. 

 J'espere qu'on ne sera pas tente d'attribuer au climat de la Guyane cette tenacite, puisqu'il 

 est dans le meme pays d'autres oiseaux a bee rouge chez lesquels cette couleur s'efi"ace tres 

 promptement." 



The only writer of modern days who has made acquaintance with Monacha atra in the 

 Guianan wilds is Schomburgk. He tells us that this species is always met with in pairs, which 

 prefer the less dense forests and the trees on the banks of the rivers. He always observed them 

 on trees, and not on bushes. Their food is insects, which they capture in flight. Of their 

 breeding-habits he could obtain no information. The Warau Indians call this bird " Hora- 

 ptepara," the Macusis " Warapischuro." 



Like most of the other best-known forms of Cayenne, the White-winged Nunbird extends 

 into the interior as far as the forests of the Eio Negro. In this district the celebrated Natterer 

 collected eighteen specimens during his travels on the Rio Negro and Rio Brancho in 1830 

 and the succeeding years. As quoted by V. Pelzeln, he described in his MS. journal the iris 

 of this species as " dark brown, feet and claws blackish grey, the tarsi on their upper surface 

 passing into violet." 



1 have also examined specimens of this species from Angostura, on the Orinoco, in the 

 Museum of Kiel, and from Para or its vicinity in the Museum of Berlin. Examples collected 

 by Castelnau and Deville near Barra in February 1847 are in the Paris Museum. In the same 

 collection are likewise three skins of this bird received among a large series forwarded to the 

 Jardin des Plantes from Guayaquil by M. Wiener. Unless, therefore, there has been some error 

 in this case, it would seem that M. nigra reappears in the western coast-region of Ecuador. 

 * See " fasti Oruithologise," by John Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sc. PMl. 1864, p. 234. 



