NEW SPECIES OF COCCOTHRAUSTES. 



159 



Remarks. These birds are confined to the central and northern regions, 

 and never quit the skirts of the forest. Their habits are very like those of 

 the arboreal Larks, but they never come into the open country. Their 

 stomach is a powerful gizzard ; and their food, kernels and hard seeds, 

 which they digest by means of trituration with gravel. They seem to 

 me eminently singular birds, and I regret I do not know more of their 

 manners. They have sundry points of contact with the genus Plectrophanes ; 

 but are separated essentially therefrom by their smooth hollow palate; as 

 noted in the generic character expressly to prevent such confusion. 



The following detail of the dimensions of a fine male may help a just 

 conception of the characters of the genus : 



Inches. 



Tip bill to lip tail, , 6| 



Bill, length of, Of^ 



, basal height of, 0/^- 



, ditto breadth of, , Oj^ 



Tail, 2| 



Expanse of wings, , , 11^ 



Tarsus, Off 



Central Toe, O^g- 



Hind toe, OA- 



Nail, Oj?^ 



A closed wing, , , 3| 



Weight, 1 oz. 



III.— NEW GENERA OF THE COLUMBIDiE. 



The Pigeons are usually and usefully divided into the terrestrial, the 

 arboreal and the ordinary ; the last uniting the attributes the other two, 

 and being the most perfectly organised of the familj'. The above form the 

 genera Goura, Vinago and Columha; and, though I am aware that tliere 



