PURPLE-BREASTED BLUE MAN AKIN. 
ean be conceived bv the imagination, clouded 
with a little black on the crowij of the head, 
in the middle of the back, and on the feathers 
between the back and wings : there is, also, a 
sBiall border of black round the upper mandi- 
ble of the bill. All the fine blue feathers have 
their bottoms of a black or dusky colour: 
the thrp^it and breast are of an exceeding fine 
reddish purple colour; the bottoqis or downy 
part, of these purple feathers, are quite white. 
The wings are black ; except the lesser covert 
feathers, which *re blue. The inner coverts of 
the wings are black ; the insides of the quills 
are dusky. The tail, legs, ieet, and ciavys, are 
all black. The outer toe in each foot is joined 
to the middlemost toe, as in King-Fishers." 
Edwards, who was an accurate observer, 
and a most exact delineator, affords not tl)e 
smallest liint of the Blue Riband appearance, 
on wliich Buffon eredts his new name of this 
bird: and, afier all, our Purple-Breasted Ma- 
Dakin may pos^iblv be one of the other birds 
mentioned by Salerne, as found at Cavenne, 
and not Euffon^s mofe than in one sense pre- 
sujnptuously named Kni^lit of tj^e ligly Ghost. 
