280 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



Atlas, Ornithology, Plate XXXIV. Adult male. 

 Gray, Gen. of Birds, II, Plate CXX; Reich. Vollst. Naturg. Colum- 

 bidge, Plate CLXXVI, fig. 1528. 



Reichenbach, in " Die Neuendeckten Vogel Neu-hollands," II, p. 

 158, claims to have founded his genus Pleiodus, on this very remark- 

 able bird, in the Synopsis to his Icones Avium, in 1847. The latter, 

 in which he gives a figure, well representing this bird, rather unfortu- 

 nately bears no date, but as this distinguished author distinctly avows 

 his claim and affirms the fact of prior publication, we see no reason 

 that his veracity should be impeached, or that his name should not be 

 adopted. The generic name, Gnathodon, proposed by Jardine, as above 

 cited, was previously employed in another department of Natural His- 

 tory, and Peale's name, Didumulus, was published in the first edition 

 of the present volume, in 1848. We have, therefore, adopted Pleiodus. 



This is one of the most remarkable birds, the existence of which 

 have been made known in the present century, and although it cannot 

 properly be regarded as a discovery made by the Expedition, in the 

 Vincennes and Peacock, yet, its proper locality was determined, and 

 Mr. Peale has given some interesting particulars in relation to it, 

 which will be inserted in our present article. It was first described 

 by Sir William Jardine, as above cited, in 1845, from a collection 

 purchased in the City of Edinburgh, and containing mainly Australian 

 species, which circumstance induced its describer to regard it as pro- 

 bably a bird of that island. It is also given by Mr. Gould, in his great 

 work on the birds of Australia, above cited. 



This bird is especially interesting on account of its affinity to several 

 extinct species, such as the Dodo and others, now to be regarded as 

 having, very probably, belonged to the family of Pigeons. At the 

 time of its first having been brought to the attention of naturalists, it 

 was the only species of its family showing such relationship, which 

 must now, however, very probably, be shared with the curious species 

 from the Marquesas Islands, described by the Prince Bonaparte, in the 

 Revue et Magasin de Zoologie, 1856, p. 401, PI. XVIII, and named by 

 him Serrisius galeatus. 



Of this extraordinary bird, two specimens are in the collection of 

 the Expedition, both of which are in sufficiently good preservation to 

 fairly represent the species. 



Mr. Peale's observations are as follows : 



