BÁTBACHOSTOMÚS AUMTUS?/¿ould).
Genus BATRACHOSTOMUS, Gould.
C h a r a c t e r e s G e n e r i c i . .
Rostrum latius, ac mag is depressum quam in genere Podargus dicto, (cui generi hoc approximat) culmine minds cari-
nato. Nares tubulares, transversim posita et penicillis tecta. Oculi superné cute nudd laté marginati, et cristulis
phimosis, alterá superciliari, alterd in/ra-oculari, poeticé spectantibus instructi. Alse quam in Podargo longiores,
remigibus quarto, quinto, sexto et séptimo longissimis et inter se feré aqualibus. Cauda mediocris et rotundata. Tarsi
digitique non tantum breviores sed debiliores quam in Podargo; tarsi anticé per dimidium plumosi.
B A T R A C H O S T OM U S A U R I T U S .
Mas. Batr. capite dor soque superiore cast a neis, lineis, guttisque irregularibus cervinis, fuscisque, ornatis; torque nuchali
cervino; tectricibus ala saturaté cas tañéis, nigro, notisque triangularibus stramineis ornatis; primariis satur até fuscis,
rufo irregularitér fasciatis apicibus rufis ; scapular ib us rufescentibus, singulis plumis nigro ad apicem guttatis; se-
condariis cauddque rufo-castaneis, lineis pallidioribüs nigrescente marginatis, fasciatis; f asciis cauda nigro adspersis;
dorso imofusco, rufo nigroque fasciato, cristuld superciliari fusco, stramineoque pictd; cristuUi infra-oculari rufescente,
plumarum marginibus externis stramineis; gulá pectoreque rufo-fuscis, illd, colore pallidiore, necnon nigro, fasciatd ¡
hóc stramineo fasciato; abdomine cervino, colore pallidiore fasciato, plumis nonmllis nigro ad apicem guttatis; rostro
ad basin flavo, ad apicem rufo-fusco ; pedibus aurantiacis.
F cem. v e l M a s J u n . Differt solummodó plumis plus gríseo lavatis, pracipué scapularibus, torque nuchali pallidiore, plumarum
apicibus cervinis nigro irregularitér cinctis.
Long. tot. 16 m e .; rostri ab ángulo oris ad apicem, 2£, latitudo, 2$-; ala, 11^; cauda, 8£ ; tarsi, f .
M a l e . Head, and upper p a rt of the back chestnut brown, each feather crossed by several irregular, reddish
cream-coloured bars, which are bounded on each side with narrow lines of dark brown, the intermediate
spaces being sprinkled with the same colour; feathers of the back of the neck largely tipped with reddish
cream colour, forming a broad crescent round the back of the n eck; wing coverts dark chestnut brown, irregularly
rayed with black, each feather terminated with a triangular, cream-coloured mark, which is bounded
on each of its upper sides with a patch of black, the extremity of each of these feathers having a spatulate
recurved form; primaries dark brown, passing into reddish brown at the tip, and crossed by irregular bars of
the reddish brown, which latter colour, especially on the inner webs, is sprinkled with blackish b rown; scapu-
laries the same, but with rufous tint pervading the whole, and each feather with a circular spot of black at
the extremity of the stem; secondaries and tail reddish chestnut, each feather crossed by broad bars of a
lighter tint, which are bounded on each side with a line of blackish brown, and those on the tail sprixikled
with the same colour; lower p art of the back dark brown, crossed by bars of reddish brown, which are
bounded with b lack; tuft above the eye mottled brown and cream colour, that beneath the eye reddish brown
with the outer webs cream colour; throat and chest rufous brown, the former crossed by indistinct bars of a
lighter tint and black, and the latter by bars of cream colour which assume a spatulate form on the tips of
some of the feathers, and give a spotted appearance to this p a r t ; the remainder of the under surface pale
reddish fawn, crossed with indistinct bars of a still lighter tint, some of the feathers having a small spot of
black near the tip ; bill yellow a t the base, passing into reddish brown at the t ip ; feet orange yellow.
F e m a l e o r Y o u n g M a l e . Less in size; similar in the character of its colouring, but the whole of the upper
and under surface strongly tinged w ith grey, especially on the scapul'aries; the nuchal collar much paler, with
the cream-coloured tips of the feathers bounded both above and below w ith a broad irregular line of black.
Podargus auritus, App. to Mem. of Sir T. S. Raffles, p. 662. Yig. & Horsf. in Griffith’s Transí, of Cuv. An.
Kingd., vol. 2. PI. IV. p. 114.
We are indebted to the researches o f the late Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles for our knowledge of this very
singular species. I t is a native o f Sumatra, Malacca, Sic., and was first described in the Appendix to Lady
Raffles’ Memoir of her distinguished husband; but nothing whatever is known as to its habits o r economy.
The figures are o f the natural size. .