MELIPHAGID^. 



^67 



scapulars, and leaves only a black tip to the lesser 

 quills : the greater quills, except the two outermost, 

 are black, with the half of the inner webs, nearest 

 the shafts, yellow : all the rest of the plumage, in- 

 cluding the ear-feathers and a stripe over the eye, is 

 deep black : the tail is slightly forked ; the middle 

 feathers being three-tenths of an inch shorter than 

 the outer pair : tarsi black, lengthened, and robust : 

 the hind claw, although strong, is considerably shorter 

 than the middle claw : unlike the other birds of this 

 group, the anterior toes are long and slender, the 

 outer connected to the middle toe as far as the first 

 joint, but the inner deeply cleft to its base. 



GENUS CCLXXVI.-~-PTILORIS, Swainson. 



Rostrum longissimum, com- 



pressum, falciforme. 

 Nares basales, plumosi, aper- 



tura linear] . 

 Tarsi breves : pollex validus, 



tarsus halluxque aequalis; 



plantce planse, latae. 



Cauda brevis, aequalis. 

 Alee rotundatae. 



BeaJi: very long, compressed, 

 sickle-shaped. 



Nostrils basal, plumed; aper- 

 ture linear. 



Tarsi short : Mnd toe strong, 

 and as long as the tarsus ; 

 soles of the feet flat, di- 

 lated. 



Tail short, even. 



Wings rounded. 



Sp. 1. Pt. paradiseus. Zool. Journ. (Swains.) v. i. p. 481. 

 Pt. supra nitide atro-purpiireus, infra nitide atro-viridis ; vertice, 



jugulo, rectricibusque, mediis splendide ccBruleo-viridibus. 

 Ptiloris above shining dark purple, beneath glossy dark green ; 



with the crown, jugulum, and middle tail-feathers splendid 



blue-green. 



Inhabits New Holland. Length twelve inches.— 

 From Mr. Swainson's lengthened description of this 



