144 
MEGALOPHUS. 
ment can be given by words. When in a recum- 
bent state, it is so long as to hang down upon the 
back and on each side the head ; but when erect, 
it forms a large semicircle round the crown, very 
much in the manner of the half of a full blown 
plant of the syngenesius order ; its colour is bright 
reddish cinnamon, each feather being tipt with 
glossy blue-black, and enlarged at the end. The 
bill, for the size of the bird, is enormous, its shape 
being like that of Muscipeta ; although somewhat 
dilated towards the base, it is very flat, and rather 
lengthened, and so strongly protected, that the 
bristles at its base reach nearly to the tip. The 
wings and tail are moderately long; and their 
structure comes much nearer to those of the Musci- 
peta than to the flycatchers of the New World 
Finally, the feet are very short, and nearly white 
the toes rather long in proportion, and the claws 
very slightly curved. The ornithologist will readily 
trace in these particulars many strong indications of 
the characters of Eurylaimus , to which group, as 
we believe, this bird constitutes the passage. Its 
great rarity is no doubt to be attributed to its very 
local dispersion. 
