PLATE XLVIII. 



Le Casse noisette. Buff. IV, jj. 4flS. 

 Manakin du Bresil. PL Enl 302. /. 1. 



Black Capped Manakin. Lath, Syn, 4. /?. 5^1. ^.^Ind Orn. 

 556. 6. 



The black capped Manakin, Pipra manacus of Linnteus, is a 

 bird of very moderate size, the annexed dehneation representing it 

 in its natural size. The prevailing colours are black, grey and 

 white, each of which is so distinctly marked as to exhibit altogether 

 a striking contrast even of those simple colours. There are two 

 supposed varieties of this species, the first of which, the example 

 now before us, has a large spot of white upon the wing, which in 

 the other kind is wholly wanting : the absence of this white spot is 

 supposed to characterize the female bird, and if that conclusion 

 prove correct, the bird before us must be the male of this interesting 

 species. 



This little bird is of a lively active disposition, and is observed 

 to be most frequent in the vicinity of Ant hills, which are abundant 

 in Cayenne, the country which the black-headed Manakin inhabits. 

 It subsists on insects generally, but those of the Ant tribe appear 

 to be the most grateful to its palate, and upon these it chiefly feeds. 

 Writers mention one particularity of this species which may be 

 worthy of remark, namely, that these birds, besides being always in 

 motion when in search of Ants, are observed to leap very frequently 

 IVom the ground, uttering at the same time a noise not very different 



