.^04 DUSKY IXOS. 



This bird was introduced into the European fauna 

 by Temminck in 1840, in the Appendix to the last 

 edition of his work. I shall quote his remarks about 

 the family and description of the species entire: — 



"This genus is new to the ornithology of Europe; 

 many representatives of it exist in Africa and the 

 islands of the Indian Archipelago, where the species of 

 the genus are numerous. M. Muller, one of our Indian 

 travelling naturalists, informs me that it is one of the 

 sedentary birds of Java. Some species we found in- 

 habiting the mountainous countries, and one of them 

 at an elevation of eight thousand feet; others were 

 found on the plains, even in the neighbourhood of in- 

 habited places. Their call resembles somewhat that of 

 the Chaffinch. 



They are generally found in pairs, or collected to- 

 gether in families — rarely in a numerous flock. They 

 generally frequent trees or shrubs bearing fruit or 

 berries, which are almost their only food. They may 

 often be seen upon the ground seeking for those 

 fruits which have fallen; but they rarely feed on 

 caterpillars or other insects, so that it must be ad- 

 mitted they are essentially fructivorous, in which they 

 differ from the Thrushes." 



The Dusky Ixos is found commonly in Andalusia, 

 and it inhabits the western parts of North Africa. I 

 am not able to give any authentic account of its 

 habits or propagation. 



M. Temminck further remarks: — "This new species 

 resembles very closely, both in size and form, the Ixos 

 Plebeius of Western Africa, of which there is a plate 

 in the Atlas of RoupelPs "Travels in Egypt," but 

 the colour of the plumage is sufficiently different to 

 distinguish the two species. Our species, though it 



