P late X V .
RUPICOLA SANGUINOLENTA.
ffiLOOD-EED COCK-OE-IHE-EOCK).
Riipieola .
Rupicola saturala
Gould, P.Z.S. lS-5!), p. 99.
Sclater, P.Z.S. I8G0, p. 91.
Sclater, Ca t. A. B. p. 2:i3.
Cab, e t H ein . Mus. H ein . ii. p. 99.
S a tu ra te coccínea, c ris ta u n ic o lo re : alis e t c auda n ig r is ; secundariis trib u s ex tem is c iñ e re is : ro s tro aiirauliaco,
pedibus flav is: long, to ta 12-0, al® 7 2, caud® 4-4, ta rs i 1'4. Fcem. obscure rufo-brunnea. dorso uropygiuque rufes-
cen tio rib u s, pileo bru n n esc en tio re .
S a l . in rep . Alq u a to riali Tran san dean á, Nan eg al (Fraser).
The first skins o f this brilliantly coloured species brought to Europe were, we believe, those
collected by YI. Jules Boui-cier, during bis consulatcship iu Ecuador, about tbe year 1850, but
tbe bird was not distinguished from its close ally, tlie Peruvian Cock-of-the-rock, imtil 1859,
when Mr. Gould pointed out its differential characters, in a communication made to tlic Zoological
Society. These are indeed but slight, consisting mamly in its slightly smaller size, and the
blood-red rather than orange-tinted plumage. But the latter is sufficiently striking to be
noticeable at first sight. _ ,
Mr. L. Fraser obtained examples o f this species in February 1859 at Nanegal, a village
on the western slope o f Pichincha, about 4000 feet above tbe sea-level. We believe it to be
resti-icted to the western slope o f the main range, representing in this district the Eupkola
peruviana of the eastern face o f the Andes.
We have no account o f the habits o f this particular species in a state o f nature, but they are
doubtless similar to those o f the other Icnown members o f the group. Concerning these we may
refer our readers to Schomburgk’s interesting notes on Rupicola crocea, as observed m the
Roraima mountains o f British Guiana,* and to Goudot’s account o f the nesting o f R . peruviana,
iu New Granada,! as the two most prominent articles on this subject.
We subjoin some remarks upon the present state o f our knowledge o f the geographical
distribution o f the three kno-vvn species o f Rupicola; concerning which much additional
information is still i-equired.
R . crocea, the best known species o f the genus, seems to be confined to tbe granitic plateau
o f the interior o f the three Guianas. Watertoii gives a mountain on the river Oyapoc, in Cayenne,
* N aum au n ia , J a h rg . 1850, p. 34. t E ev . Zoo!. 1843, p. 1, e t Mag. de Zool., 1843, pi. 37.