TODUS MULTICOLOR.

Tod. fronte et loro flavis ; corpore superiore plumisque auricularibus viridibus ; ad basin mandibule inferioris lined alba
oriente, et per semiunciam, in genis currente ; infra hance notd ceruled latera colli tegente, gulamque feré cingente ;
guld splendide coceined ; pectore abdomineque medio cinerascenti-albis, hoc colore in coccineum ad latera transeunte ;
crisso sulphureo ; rostro pallide fusco ; tarsis flavescenti-fuscis.

Long. tot. 34 une.; rostri, 2; ale, 13; caude, 11; tarsi, %.

Forehead and space between the bill and the eye yellow; all the upper surface and the ear-coverts green ; a stripe
of white commences at the base of the lower mandible and extends for half an inch down the neck; this mark
is succeeded by a patch of bright blue, which is widened so as nearly to surround the lower part of the
throat, which is bright crimson ; chest and centre of the abdomen greyish white, passing into scarlet on the
flanks ; under tail-coverts sulphur yellow ; bill light brown ; legs yellowish brown.

Todus multicolor, Gould, in Proc. of Zool. Soc. Part V. 1837.

 

I am unable to state the precise locality from whence this beautiful species was received: it has been for some
years in the Museum of the Zoological Society of London, and formed a part of the extensive collection pre-
sented to that Society by N. A. Vigors, Esq., but has never before been characterized as distinct from TZodus
viridis. Of this peculiar form, distinguished by a bright scarlet throat, | am acquainted with three distinct
species.

The present bird may be distinguished from the others, by the diversity of colours, more particularly
by the yellow mark between the bill and the eye, and by the bright blue mark on each side of the neck. It
is also smaller than Zodus viridis in all its proportions.

The sexes of this group do not offer any external difference in the markings. Their food consists of
insects of various kinds, particularly spiders. They incubate in holes in the earth. They inhabit exclu-
sively the islands of the West Indies, and the adjacent part of the South American continent.

I have given two figures of the bird of the natural size.