Zoological Illustrations Series II/Plate 117



For the use of this new and singularly formed bird, we are indebted to Professor Hooker, who, with his usual liberality, has recently sent for our inspection, a valuable box of Chilian birds, most of which are undescribed. They form the foundation of his son's, Mr William Hooker's collection, who has already commenced with much zeal the study of this interesting science.

All the rasorial characters are strikingly displayed in this extraordinary type; which exhibits the greatest developement of the foot of any insessorial bird yet discovered. It no doubt lives entirely upon the ground; for the feet are formed precisely on the same model as those of Menura and Orthonyx, both of which are the rasorial types of their respective circles, and are consequently representatives of Leptonyx: the same analogy explains its resemblance to a partridge, and more distantly to the sub-genus Erythaca Sw. by its rufous breast.

The Indian bird erroneously called Pitta thoracica by M. Temminck, follows this in close affinity, and is either the Grallatorial type, or the immediate point of connection between Malacocircus Sw. and Timalia Horsf.

Total length 9 inches; bill from the gape 1$1/10$; wings 4; tail 3; tarsus 1¾; hind toe and claw 1½.