TAB. VI.
U P U P A PROMEROPS.
CHARACTER GENERICUS.
Roßrum arcuatum, convexum, fubcompreflum, obtufiufculum.
Lingua obtufa, integerrima, triquetra, breviffima.
P i i / I J ambulatorii. LIN. SYST. NAT . p. 183.
CHARACTER SPECIFICUS, &c.
Upupa reilriclbus fex intermediis longliììmis. LIN. SYST. NAT. p. 184.
Promerops fuperne fiifcuSj inferne albus, peftore mfefcente. BRISS. AV. 2. p. 461. t. 43. f. 2.
GENERIC CHARACTER.
Bill bowed, convex, fomewhat comprefTed, ratlier obtufe.
Tongue obtufe, prfeftly entire, triquetrous, very fhort.
Feet formed for walking.
SPECIFIC CHARACTER, &c.
Hopoe with the fix intermediate tail-feathers extremely long.
Cape Promerops. LATH. SYNOPS. vol. I. p. 692.
IT is doubtful whether Linna:us, in the Syftema Naturse, has not mentioned this bird twice;
viz. firll under the genus Merops, by the tide of Merops Cafer, and again under the genus
Upupa, by the name of Upupa Promerops: this is a circumftance eafily accounted for; fmee
the bird itfelf is fubjeft to vary, and the fuppofed ipecies, named Merops Cafer, was defcribed
merely from a drawing, and confequently could not afford the fame accurate information which
a real fpecimen would have given. The length of the Upupa Promerops is nearly a foot and
half, and the general colour of the bird on the upper parts is brown; the under parts whitiih;
but die middle of the breail inclines, in moft fpecimens, to rufous; and in the male bird the
fides are more or lefs ijjotted with brown: the rump is of an olive caft, and the criffum or vent
yellow: die tail is extremely long, the fix middle feathers extending themfelves a great way
beyond the others. This fpecies of Upupa is common at the Cape of Good Hope. The
fpecimen here figured ieems to be a female.
mti^a ,ftrom.erofiä,
Orìfiityàtm, . a/^^.n'i/n