P late V.
XIPHOLENA ATROPURPUREA.
(BEAZILIM POMPADOUE-COTIN6A).
Aiiipelis atropurpúrea
•s purpurea
Xipholena purp u rea
. Max. Eeis. u. B ra s. i. p p . 262. (1820.)
. Lich t. Do u b l. p . 67. (1823.)
. Max. B e itr. iii. p. 897.
. Burm. Syst. TJeb. ii. p. 428.
. Gray, Gen. o f Bird s, i. p . 279.
. Cab. O rn . N o t. i. p. 233.
. Cab. e t H e in . Mus. H e in . ii. p. lOG.
. Bp . Consp. p. 176.
. Sclater. G a t. Am. B. p . 257.
S a tu ra te vinaceo-purpurea, remigibus niveis, p rimariorum apicibus n ig r i s : ro s tro corneo, p ed ib u s n ig r is ; long^ to tá
7-5, a l» 4-3, e au d» 2 5. J W . Fuliginoso-cineracea, uropygii plumis albo m a rg in a tis ; alis mgric an tib u s, secundariis
e t tectric ib u s albo lim b a ti s ; su b tu s d ilu tio r, v e n tre albicantiore, crisso to to albo.
R a l . in Br.asil, Or, reg. sylvatica.
The well-lmo-mi Pompadour Cotiiiga o f Cayenne is represented in South-eastern Brazil by
the present hh'd, which although not qnite its equal in hrillianey o f colour, is nevertheless one
o f the handsomest o f the gorgeous group to whioli it belongs. The veteran ornithologist. Prince
Max o f Neu-dVied, was the original discoverer o f this species, having met with it during his
travels in Brazil m the year 1816, in tlie neighhomhood o f Morro d’Arara, iii the wooded coast-
regioii north o f Eio de Janeiro. In the first volume o f his “ Eeise nach Brasilien,” published
in 1820, Prince Max gave the specific name atropurpúrea to this species. In his subsequently
published “ Beitrage” he relinquished this term in favour o f Lichtenstein’s purpurea, which,
however, was not published until 1823, so that there can be no doubt that in aceordance with
the rules o f priority the former name should he employed. Bm-meister obtained one specimen
of this species near Novo Fribourgo, in the wooded district o f S. E. Brazil, and it is not unlre-
quently met with in collections o f birds from Rio.
Like the other species o f the gi'oup, the Brazilian Pompadour is probably a pui-e fruit-eatcr.
Prince Max tells us that the digestive organs o f the specimens obtained by his hunters contained
only red seeds, probably o f the Urucú {Bixa orelland), and cberry-likc fruits, the abundant use
o f which seemed to have stained the intestines. Its voice is described as being lilce the mewing
o f a cat.
The genus Xipholena (containing the Pompadour Cotmgas) embraces three species, including
the present; namely:—
1. X p om p a d o ra (Lmn.): Sclater, Cat A. B. p. 226, from British Guiana and Cayenne,
extending inwards to Guia on the Rio Negro, where specimens were obtained by 5Ir. M allacc.
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