PTEROGLOSSUS AZARA, Wagier.

Banded Aracari.

Speciric CHARACTER.

Pter. rostro stramineo ; mandibula superiore pallidiore, nigro serrata: olivaceo-viridis ; capite
: : A A : : ee ee :
Nigro ; auribus guldque saturate castaneis, hac nigro postice cincta; gutture coccineo ;

torque pectoralt lata, anticé nigra, posticé angusteé coccinea ; ventre flavo ; crisso coccineo.

Bill clear straw yellow, the upper mandible being the palest, and the serratures of its edges
marked by dashes of black; top of the head and occiput black; throat and ear-coverts
deep mahogany brown, below which extends a semilunar band of black ; to this succeeds
a broad belt of scarlet, followed by a similar band of jet black, to this again a narrow
band of scarlet; thighs olive green; the rest of the under surface yellow ; upper surface
olive green, with the exception of the rump, which is scarlet.

Total length, 15 inches.

L Aragari Azara. Levaill., Ois. de Parad., Supp. p. 40. t. A. [cited by Wagler. ]
Ramphastos Azara. Vieill., Nouv. Dict. d Hist. Nat., t. 34. p. 282.

Pteroglossus Azarw. Wagler, Syst. Avium.

 

Two examples of this truly beautiful Aragari adorn the national museum of France, which, with one in the
Munich collection, are, as far as I have been able to ascertain, the only specimens in Europe. In the year
1825, M. Vieillot published a figure and description of this bird taken, as he himself informs us, from a single
individual in the gallery of the Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle; from which it is apparent that the second
specimen alluded to, and which is by far the finest, as M. Vieillot’s figure proves, has been subsequently
acquired. From the extreme rarity in England of the Supplement to Levaillant’s Work, cited by Wagler as
containing a figure of this bird, I have never been able to see the Plate referred to.

I visited Paris purposely to inspect and make a drawing of the specimens of this rare bird, in order to
assure myself of their specific value, and their relative affinities in the group to which they belong. The
alternate bands of red and black which ornament the breast, together with the uniform colour of the bill, the
serratures of which alone are marked out with black, at once distinguish it from every other Pteroglossus.
It may, however, be observed, that in the specimen from which M. Vieillot took his figure, a broad dusky
dash extends from the base of the upper mandible nearly two thirds of its length, diminishing as it proceeds
towards the point. It is not clear to me that this indistinct mark is not the indication of an immature bird,
or it may perhaps be caused by some decomposition after death, the rest of the colouring being neither so fine
nor so brilliant. I would also remark, that the lower band of scarlet is only slightly indicated.

The nearest allied species at present discovered is the Pteroglossus bitorquatus; but from this it may at
once be distinguished by the alternate bands across the chest.

Wagler informs us that the habitat of this bird is Brazil, where it is extremely rare.

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