_P. supra fuscus, maculis sulphureis, subtus sulphureus maculis nigris interstinctus, capite juguloque nigris; pectoris plumis elongatis, pilis setaceis terminatis._
Above brown, spotted with sulphur; beneath sulphureous, with black spots; head and chin black; feathers of the breast lengthened, and ending in long setaceous hairs.
I have before observed, that this genus of birds was first characterized under the name of _Pogonias_, by Illiger, in 1811; some years after (1815), M. Vieillot changed the name to _Pogonia_, without taking any notice of Illiger"s denomination, and Dr. Leach has followed Vieillot without probably being aware of the plagiarism; Vieillot"s name must, however, be expunged, as Mr. Brown has some time back affixed the name of _Pogonia_ to a remarkable genus of plants.
Total length about seven inches; bill blueish black, one inch two lines long, and large in proportion; the tooth in the middle very prominent; behind the eye is a short white stripe, and another much longer begins from the under mandible, and goes half way down the neck; the chin and part of the throat, together with the head and neck above, deep black, which changes to a dark brown on the back, wings, covers, and tail; a small round sulphur spot is on the tip of each feather of the hind head, back, and lesser wing covers; the quills pale brown, margined with sulphur; the under plumage is greenish sulphur, closely spotted with blackish; the most extraordinary peculiarity of this bird consists in the feathers of the breast, which are more rigid than the others, pointed, and the shaft of the lower ones ending in fine incurved setaceous hairs, many of which are near an inch long. The probable use this particular formation is intended for, it is impossible to conjecture.
Mr. B. Leadbeater, to whom I am often obliged for the inspection of rare subjects, received this from Africa, and it is the only individual of the species I ever heard of.
Pl. 73
[Ill.u.s.tration]
PSITTACUS pulch.e.l.lus,
_Turcosine Parrakeet._
GENERIC CHARACTER.--See Pl. 1.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
_P. macrourus, supra viridis, subtus fulvus; sincipite, genis, tegminibusque cyaneis, remigibus caeruleis; rectricibus lateralibus fulvis._
Long-tailed Parrakeet, green above; yellow beneath; forepart of the head, cheeks, and wing covers light blue; quills deep blue; lateral tail feathers yellow.
_Shaw, Naturalist"s Misc._ 3. _pl._ 96. _Latham, Suppl._ 2. _p._ 88.
_no._ 14.
_La Perruche Edwards, Le Vaillant_, _pl._ 68. (female). _Gen. Zool._ 8, 470.
It is impossible to represent this superbly coloured little creature in its full beauty, though the figure will not be found very defective. The only representation of the male is in the Naturalist"s Miscellany, where it cannot be recognized, and Le Vaillant"s is of the female, which differs considerably from the other s.e.x. It is a rare species, and peculiar to New Holland.
Length nine inches, with the tail, which is near four inches and a half; the upper part of the plumage olive green, not so bright as is usual in this tribe; the front of the head is a most brilliant turcosine blue, which spreads on the cheeks, nearly to the ears, and then mixes with the green; the shoulders and lesser wing covers of the same colour, graduating to a deep mazarine blue on the greater covers, spurious wings, and quill feathers, which latter are all deep black beneath, as well as on their interior shafts; at the base of the shoulders is a large irregular patch of dull red, partially hid by the scapulars; the under plumage is yellow, tinged with olive on the throat and breast, and verging towards orange on the belly; tail feathers narrow and pointed, mostly green, with the inner shafts blueish, and margined with black; the three outer on each side nearly yellow, the next tipt only with that colour; under the wings brilliant blue, the greater covers and quills deep black; bill very small; upper mandible without a notch, and blackish; lower very convex, and, with the legs, flesh colour.
The female figured by Le Vaillant is much less brilliant in all its colours, and without the red mark on the shoulders.
Pl. 74
[Ill.u.s.tration]
ACHATINA fasciata,
_Chesnut-banded Achatina._
GENERIC CHARACTER.--See Pl. 30.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER.
_A. testa alba fasciis latis lineisque castaneis ornata; spira elongata, cra.s.sescente; labio interiore semi-circulari, intus depresso; columella truncata, emarginata._
Sh.e.l.l white, with broad chesnut bands and lines; spire elongated, thickened; inner lip semi-circular, depressed within; columella truncated, emarginate.
Bulla fasciata. _Gmelin_ 3430, 25. _Martini_ 9. _tab._ 117, 1004 to 6.
_Lister_ 12, 7. _Seba_, _tab._ 39. _fig._ 62 to 74. _Gualtieri_, _tab._ 6. _fig._ C.
Having figured two or three species allied to this sh.e.l.l, it appears advisable to subjoin a more particular notice of it, and to point out those characters by which it may be detected through its numerous variations: this has been endeavoured in the specific character now formed, and appears to rest princ.i.p.ally on the inner lip, which is always semicircular, down which, if closely examined inside, there is a depression as if it had been pared down with a knife; the base of the pillar also is so strongly truncated as to appear notched, and the broadest part of the mouth is always in the middle; these characters have been very ill attended to in all the figures above quoted, of which Seba gives no less than eleven, which vary only in the disposition and number of their bands.
Gualtieri"s figure at _tab._ 6. _fig._ D, is an admirable representation of _A. pallida_, which, not having his work before me at the time, I could not quote; the other at C is a very good one of the present sh.e.l.l. The upper drawing is from one in my own cabinet; the lower is in the possession of Mr. C. Dubois, who is continually adding to his fine and valuable collection.
It is almost unnecessary to contradict the opinion of some writers who have fancied this a _fresh-water_ sh.e.l.l. It is not uncommon, but seldom seen in perfection.
Pl. 75
[Ill.u.s.tration]
NATICA spadicea,
_Banded Natica._
GENERIC CHARACTER.
_Testa subglobosa seu ovalis, umbilicata. Spira depressa, brevissima.
Columella umbilici medio terminans. Apertura semiorbicularis, operculo corneo vel testaceo clausa. Animal marinum, pede maximo; oculis ad basin duorum tentaculorum simplicium positis._