GRYPUS SPIXI, Gould.
Spix’s Saw-bill.
G r y p u s Spiaci, Gould in Proc. o f Zool. S o c ., part xxviii. p. 3 0 4 .
I o b t a in e d a single specimen o f this bird from M. Parzudaki o f Paris, but was unable to learn whence it had
been received, a fact which would be o f much interest both to myself and to every scientific ornithologist;
I have but little doubt, however, that the bird is a native o f Brazil.
Not being able to find any published description o f a species according with the present bird, whose
thick and powerful bill, together with other characters, at once indicate its proper place in the family of
Trochilidse, I have no alternative but to characterize it as uew. When I first described it, I accompanied my
description with a remark, which I may as well repeat here
“ This bird is considerably smaller than G. nceoius, and has a less cuneate tail. It is possible that this
may be one o f the sexes o f Glaucis D o h rn i; many of its colours would induce such a belief; and if this
should prove to be the case, that bird must be removed from the genus Glaucis to that o f Grypus. I have
named this species in honour o f the celebrated traveller Spix, in whose work there occurs a figure of a bird
(G . ruficollis') which somewhat resembles my specimen ; not so, however, the accompanying description,
which appears to be that o f the species so frequently sent from Rio de Janeiro, and which is generally
known as Grypus navius.”
Crown o f the head bronzy brown; upper surface and all the tail-feathers very rich reddish bronze; wings
reddish purple-brown; line above the eye buff; ear-coverts dark brown; throat, chest, and under surface
deep reddish buff; under tail-coverts bronzy, each slightly tipped with buffy white ; upper mandible black;
under mandible yellow, with a black t ip ; feet yellow.
The figures are o f the natural size. The plant is the Brassavola lineata.