collectors would leave as much on record iu proportion as Mr. IIofl;^son has donf;, tlie Kciencfi 
of ornitliology would receive an additional impuls(!, and (rcHh ]i;^Iit be cast on tfic 
problems at present so perplexing, for it is those naturalists who have the opportunities of 
field collecting, who are responsible for the comparative ignorance which exists as to the soft 
anatomy of birds. 
" The Blue-faced Barbet, " says Mr. Hodgson," is found in the wooded valleys of the 
lower region of Nepal, that is from the Terai to about 4,000 feet above the level of the sea. 
" It builds in holes in trees, and lays pure white eggs. The sexes are similar in colouring, 
" but the female is rather the smaller bird. The stomach is of medial subequal thickness, and 
" rather muscular ; the outer coat of moderate thickness; the inner coat soft and smooth 
" in the young bird, tough and grooved in the adult. The intestines are very capacioiis 
" and subequal throughout, and there are no caca. The tongue is cartilaginous, the tip 
"bifid and well forked, with the sides entire. The orbits are nude. The tail is feeble, and 
" consists of ten feathers. There is no membrane over the nostrils. The soles of the feet 
" are full and balled, not flat. The specimens shot in October and November, were in full 
" moult." 
The annexed table of dimensions is also almost entirely taken from the same source, 
the few exceptions being observations of our own. It will be seen from it that of this 
species at least, fruit is the favorite food, and that insects are only resorted to when the former 
is scarce ; for out of the long series examined, extending over all seasons of the year, only 
in one case insects were found in the stomach, and that was during May, a month in which 
berries are particularly scarce in the mountains. It is curious also that no buds were found 
in any of them, for they are a favorite food with many of the Megalwmince. 
Date. 
Sex. 
Length. 
Expanse. 
Weight. 
Intest. 
Contents of Stomach. 
June SOth. 
9-25 
13-5 
3 oz. 
10" 
Pulpy stony berries only. 
Nov. 1st. 
9-5 
14 
Pulpy berries only. 
Jan. 29. 
9-5 
13-5 
3-5 oz. 
12" 
Ditto ditto. 
„ let. 
9-5 
14" 
3-5 oz. 
13. "5 
Pulpy fruits. 
Dec. lOtli. 
Full of berries. 
July 4tli. 
i 
9-75 
13-5 
3-75 oz. 
9" 
Sept. 2n(i. 
8-75 
13-5 
13'' 
Piilpy berries only. 
June let. 
S 
9-25 
13-25 
Ditto ditto. 
„ l8t. 
10 
14 
Ditto ditto. 
May 14tli. 
9-75 
14 
3 oz. 
13" 
Do. and some bard insects 
June let. 
^ 
Two more specimens con- 
tained pulpy berries only. 
April 4tli. 
Large pulpy fruits. 
July 4tli. 
p 
9-5 
14 
3-25 oz. 
June 22nd. 
(? 
9-75 
14-25 
„ iBt. 
p 
Pulpy berries only. 
