collectors would leave as much, on record in proportion as Mr. Hodgson has done, the science 
of ornithology would receive an additional impulse, and fresh light be cast on the 
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 capacious 
“ and subequal throughout, and there are no caeca. 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 Megalccmince. 
Date. 
Sex. 
Length. 
Expanse. 
Weight. 
In test. 
Contents of Stomach. 
June 30th. 
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. 
„ 1st. 
3 
9-5 
14" 
3'5 oz. 
13. "5 
Pulpy fruits. 
Dec. 10th. 
. . 
. . 
- • 
• • 
Pull of berries. 
July 4th. 
3 
9-75 
13-5 
3-75 oz. 
9" 
Sept. 2nd. 
8-75 
13-5 
• * 
13'' 
Pulpy berries only. 
June 1st. 
3 
9-25 
13-25 
. . 
• • 
Ditto ditto. 
» 1 st - 
3 
10 
14 
. . 
Ditto ditto. 
May 14th. 
f> 
9-75 
14 
3 oz. 
13" 
Do. and some hard insects 
June 1st. 
April 4th. 
3 
• * 
* * 
* * 
Two more specimens con- 
tained pulpy berries only. 
Large pulpy fruits. 
July 4th. 
P 
9-5 
14 
3-25 oz. 
• • 
June 22nd. 
3 
9-75 
14-25 
r . 
„ 1st. 
P 
• • 
• • 
Pulpy berries only. 
