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قراءة كتاب Zoological Illustrations, Volume 2 or, Original Figures and Descriptions of New, Rare, or Interesting Animals

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‏اللغة: English
Zoological Illustrations, Volume 2
or, Original Figures and Descriptions of New, Rare, or Interesting Animals

Zoological Illustrations, Volume 2 or, Original Figures and Descriptions of New, Rare, or Interesting Animals

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دار النشر: Project Gutenberg
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Zoological Illustrations,

OR
ORIGINAL FIGURES AND DESCRIPTIONS
OF
NEW, RARE, OR INTERESTING
ANIMALS,
SELECTED CHIEFLY FROM THE CLASSES OF

Ornithology, Entomology, and Conchology,

AND ARRANGED ON THE PRINCIPLES OF
CUVIER AND OTHER MODERN ZOOLOGISTS.

BY
WILLIAM SWAINSON, F.R.S., F.L.S.,
MEMBER OF THE WERNERIAN SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH, ETC.

VOL. II.

London:

PRINTED BY JAMES MOYES, GREVILLE STREET;
FOR BALDWIN, CRADOCK, AND JOY, PATERNOSTER-ROW;
AND W. WOOD, STRAND.

1821-2.



TO

SIR JAMES EDWARD SMITH, M. D.

FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF
THE LINNÆAN SOCIETY OF LONDON,
FELLOW OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY, AND MEMBER OF THE
PRINCIPAL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES BOTH IN
EUROPE AND AMERICA,
THE FIRST AND SECOND VOLUMES
OF

Zoological Illustrations

ARE DEDICATED,
AS A SMALL, BUT SINCERE TRIBUTE TO THE EMINENT TALENTS OF
THE PHILOSOPHER,
AND THE EXCELLENT QUALITIES OF
THE MAN.



Pl. 67

Plate 67.
HALCYON cinnamominus,
Cinnamon Crabeater.
Generic Character.—See Pl. 26.

Specific Character.

H. cæruleo viridis; pileo, collo, plumisque totis subtùs pallidè cinnamominis; auribus viridibus; nuchâ torque nigro gracili ornatâ.

Blue-green; upper part of the head, neck, and all beneath, pale cinnamon colour; ears green; round the nape a slender black collar.

As far as I can ascertain, this beautifully coloured bird is quite new, and hitherto undescribed. It is in the possession of Mr. Leadbeater, of Brewer Street, by whom it was received from New Zealand; and who gave me the opportunity of now publishing the accompanying figure and description.

The two extreme points of difference in the Linnæan kingfishers, are seen in the Alcedo Ispida, and A. gigantea; the last of which has been made into the genus Dacelo. It will, nevertheless, be found, that from among the birds left in the old genus, there are a great number, (of which, indeed, this bird is a striking example,) which are much nearer allied to Dacelo than to Alcedo, where they now stand. It will appear, therefore, more natural to consider Halcyon and Dacelo as one genus—which may be called by either name, but which must be distinguished by the characters herein given to Halcyon, inasmuch as the generic definition of Dacelo (founded on one bird) will be found too restricted to comprehend all.

Total length ten inches; bill two and a half from the gape, and one and a half from the nostrils; the tip of the upper mandible with a slight inclination downwards, and with an appearance of a notch; the whole head, neck, and under plumage, of a delicate fawn colour; under wing covers the same; the remaining upper plumage, with the wings and tail, changeable blue green; ears sea green and dusky, united to a narrow black nuchal collar; wings four inches long, and the tail, which is even, three and a quarter; the hind head is slightly crested, and the feet pale brown.



Pl. 68

Plate 68.
POGONIAS rubrifrons,
Red-fronted Toothbill.
Generic Character.

Rostrum mediocre, crassum, validum, basi latiore quam altiore, vibrissis longis incumbentibus tectâ, lateribus ultra basin compressis, culmine arcuato, subcarinato; mandibulæ superioris margine dentibus 1 vel 2 armato, mandibulæ inferioris marginem obtegente. Nares approximantes, parvæ, rotundæ, per rostri basin perforatæ. Pedes scansorii, digitis posticis versatilibus.

Typus Genericus Bucco Dubius Lath.

Bill moderate, thick, strong, the base broader than high, with long incumbent bristles, the sides beyond compressed, the top arched, and slightly carinated; upper mandible with one or two strong teeth on each side, the margin folding over that of the lower mandible; nostrils approximating, small, round, perforated through the base of the bill. Feet scansorial. Hind toe versatile.

Generic Type Doubtful Barbut Lath.

Specific Character.

P. niger; sincipite juguloque rubris; alis et caudâ fuscis; tegminum margine externo albo, remigum fulvo.

Glossy black; forepart of the head and throat red; wings and tail brown; external margin of the covers white, and of the quills yellow.

The Linnæan Barbuts, comprehended by Latham under one genus, contain three distinct groups of birds; which, from their peculiar characters, no less than their geographic position, have now received generic distinctions. The first of these (which are still retained under the old genus,) are natives of Asia; the next in affinity were first characterized by Illiger under the name of Pogonias, and are distributed on the African continent; while the prototype genus in America is Tamatia (Cuvier), in which continent not any of the two preceding have been found: thus each quarter of the globe lying within the tropics have their corresponding groups of a family, possessing a general, but at the same time an individuality of character.

I am obliged to Mr. Leadbeater for the opportunity of figuring this new and rare species, which he believes to have come from Sierra Leone. Its total length was six inches; the

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