25.
TUNEFUL M.
D escription.
Place and
MANNERS.
L ’Organifle, Buf. elf. iv. p. 290.— PI. etil. 809. f. I.
L’Eveque, Hiß. de la Louif. vol. ii. p. 140.
J ^ E N G T H four inches. Bill dufky : forehead yellow;
crown and nape blue : chin, fides of the head below the
eyes, and throat, black : upper part of the back, the wings, and
tail, dufky black •, the laft lhort: lower part of the back and
rump, the breaft, belly, vent, and thighs, orange : legs dufky.
This is indigenous to St. Domingo, where it has gained the
name of Organifte from its note, forming the complete oftave in
the moft agreeable manner, one note fucceffively after another.
It is faid not to be uncommon; but not eafy to be fhot, as, like
the Creeper, it perpetually fhifts to the oppofite part of the
branch from the fpeftator’s eye, fo as to elude his vigilance.
It is moll likely the very bird mentioned by Du Pratz, above-
quoted ; whofe notes, he fays, are fo varied and fweet, and which
warbles fo tenderly, that thofe who have heard it value much lefs
the fong of the Nightingale. It is faid to fing for near two hours
without fcarce taking breath j and, after a refpite of about the
fame time, begins again.
Du Pratz, who himfelf has heard it, fays that it fang perched
on an oak, near the houfe he was then in.
G e n u s
N‘
G enus XLIII. T I T M O U S E .
' 1. Great T. N” 14. Guiana T .
a. Norway T. 15. Amorous T.
3. Azure T. 16. Penduline T .
4. Crimfon-rumped T . 17. Languedoc T .
5. Crimfon-crowned T . 18. Long-tailed T .
6. Black-breafted T . 19. CapeT,
7. Colemoufe. 20. Bearded T .
8. Marlh T . 21. Chinefè T.
Var; A. 22. Malabar T .
Var. B. 23. Sibirian T .
9. Canada T. Var. A.
10. Blue T. 24. Hudfon’s Bay T.
11. Toupet T. 25. Great-headed T .
12. Crefted T . 26. New Zealand T.
13. Virginian T . 27. Creeping T.
> I L L lirait, a little compreffed, ftrong, hard, and :
Noftrils round, and covered with briftles reflected over them.
Tongue cut off at the end, and terminated by three or four
briftles.
Toes divided to their origin ; back toe very large, and
ftrong.
This is the definition of the genus, according to the Genera of
Birds i which is fully fufficient»
I do