266 



R N I '1' H L G Y. 



Atlas, Ornithology, Plate XXVIII. Adult male. 



Scopoli names this species in his Catalogue of the Animals described 

 and figured in Sonnerat's Voyage to China and the East Indies 

 which catalogue is in Deliciae Florae et Faunae Insubricae IT, Pt, II, 

 p. 84 (1786, Folio). His description is, however, scarcely sufficient 

 to identify the species without Sonnerat's Plate (Voyage, vol. Ill, PI. 

 CIII), which he evidently, in mistake, cites as representing his Co- 

 liimha myristicivora, omitting entirely the citation of any Plate of Son- 

 nerat for the present bird. Columha myristicivorn, Scopoli, is repre- 

 sented in Sonnerat's Plate CII, of vol. Ill ; Columha bicolor, Scopoli, 

 is Plate CIII, of the same volume; and it will be found that Scopoli 

 had already in his Catalogue cited " Plate CII," without mentioning 

 the volume as Cobimha chinensis, but that species is represented in 

 Plate CII, of vol. II, to which he evidently meant to refer. This 

 error, though it has led to confusion respecting the species described, 

 is not important, so far as relates to the identification of the present 

 l:»ird, the colors of which being so easily found to agree with the de- 

 scription and figure as to be immediately recognized. 



Tbis species much resembles the Australian Carpophafja luctuosa 

 (Temm.), Gould's Birds of Australia, V, PI. LX, but differs in being 

 rather smaller, and in the ventral region and under coverts of the tail 

 being pine white, and not spotted with black as in G. luctuosa. It 

 has, moreover, fourteen feathers in the tail instead of twelve, as in 

 that species ; a character which, though very remarkable and liable 

 to be mistaken in prepared specimens, is constant in numerous speci- 

 mens of both species now before us, including several from Mr. Gould's 

 Australian collection. 



shafts; second quill longest; tail slightly rounded, consisting of fourteen feathers, the 

 niiddle six black half way from their extremities; the others have the black gradually 

 narrower, the outer two being merely tipped ; they are margined with black on their 

 outer webs nearly to the body. Bill, eyelids, and feet pale blue; tip of the bill and 

 claws black; irides brown. Male. 



"Total length, sixteen and one-half inches; extent of wings, twenty-nine and one- 

 fourth inches ; wings, from the carpal joint, ten and one-fourth inches ; tail, five and one- 

 half inches; tarsi, one and three-twentieths of an inch; middle toe, including the claw, 

 one and eight-tenths of an inch; claw, one-half of an inch; bill, nine-tenths of an inch; 

 from the corner of the mouth one and one-half inches." 



* "Specimen Zoologicum exhibens characteres Generlcos et specificos, necnon Nomina 

 trivialia novorum Animalium, quae Clarissimus Sonnerat, in China et in Indiis orien- 

 talibus nuper detexit." Scopoli's Title, as above. 



