THE 
ABYSSINIAN PLANT-CUTTER. 
********************* 
GENERIC CHARACTER. 
J5///conical, strait, serrated. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTER, 
Blackish PLANT-CUTTER, with red head 
and breast, and three-toed feet. 
Phytotome D’Abyssinie. 
Daud. Orn. 2, p. 360. 
It is to the celebrated Mr. Bruce that we owe the 
first knowledge of this curious bird, which is a native 
of Abyssinia, and was described by Buffon from a 
drawing communicated by that adventurous traveller. 
It has been generally considered as a species of 
Loxia; but Mons. Daudin, in his excellent ornitholo¬ 
gical work, has with great propriety instituted for it a 
new genus, under the title of Phytotoma or Plant- 
Cutter. The plate represents it in its natural size. 
