Zoological Illustrations Volume Iii Part 12

I cannot reconcile this with any one species described by Fabricius; at the a.n.a.l angle of the lower wings, is a pale greyish spot, with two short blackish lines: I have named it in honour of that laborious and eminent zoologist, Dr. Leach; who presented me with the specimen here figured.

The upper figure is of _Sphinx Leachii_, and the under of _S. fasciata_.

Pl. 151

[Ill.u.s.tration]

ALCEDO semitorquata,

_Half-collared Kingsfisher._

GENERIC CHARACTER.--See Pl. 26.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_A. caeruleo-viridis, infra ochracea; capite cyaneo, lineis nigris transversis ornato; dorso nitide caeruleo; pectore torque caeruleo-viridi interrupto insigni._

Bluish green, beneath buff colour; head blue, with transverse black lines; back s.h.i.+ning light blue; breast with an interrupted blue-green collar.

In a small collection of birds, procured on the borders of the Great Fish River of the Cape, I met with this new and elegant Kingsfisher. I was fortunate in detecting in the same parcel several other unknown and interesting birds; which I hope to record and ill.u.s.trate in this work, particularly as they have since been sent to a foreign museum. This species considerably exceeds the size of the Asiatic Kingsfisher, being nearly eight inches and a half long: the bill is black, two inches from the gape, and one and three quarters from the base of the nostrils: head blue, the crown crossed by dusky black lines; hind head somewhat crested, the sides deep and rich mazarine blue; ears and sides of the neck greenish blue, the latter having a stripe of white; the blue on the sides of the neck advances on the breast in the shape of a half-formed collar: wings and scapula covers bluish green, with lighter spots on the tip of each of the wing covers; down the back is a stripe of vivid light blue, similar to the common Kingsfisher: tail dark-blue, edged with greenish, the base black.

The plumage beneath, from the chin to the end of the throat, white; changing on the breast to pale fawn colour, which deepens to ferruginous on the body, under tail covers, and thighs: legs red: between the bill and eye a dusky white line.

Pl. 152

[Ill.u.s.tration]

ACHATINA melastoma,

_Black-mouthed Achatina._

GENERIC CHARACTER.--See Pl. 30.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_A. testa strigis longitudinalibus, nebulosis, purpureis ornata; spira elongata; labio exteriore castaneo-nigro; columella cra.s.sa, gibba; basi integra._

Sh.e.l.l with clouded purple longitudinal stripes; spire lengthened; inner lip chesnut-black; columella thickened, gibbous; base entire.

_Helix regina._ _Ferussac Moll._ _liv._ 19. _pl._ 119.

_Var._ (reversed.) _A. perversa._ _Zool. Ill.u.s.t._ _vol._ 1. _pl._ 30.

I have not the least doubt that this sh.e.l.l is specifically the same with that figured at Plate 30 of this work: it has only recently come under my inspection, and I therefore hasten to give a further ill.u.s.tration of this beautiful species, and to subst.i.tute a new specific character, which will be applicable to both varieties.

Although much more ventricose than the reverse variety, this has the same unusual formation of that part of the columella seen at the base of the mouth, where it is very thick, and appears as if swelled: the epidermis, in this specimen, obscures the white ground colour of the sh.e.l.l. I have seen also another variety, even more slender than that at Plate 30, and with the aperture not reversed. These new facts point out the necessity of the specific name of _perversa_ being changed to one more applicable.

The figure is from a specimen lent to me by Mr. Dubois, and is probably from Brazil.

Pl. 153

[Ill.u.s.tration]

STROMBUS lobatus,

_Lobed, or Brindled Strombus._

GENERIC CHARACTER.--See Pl. 10.

SPECIFIC CHARACTER.

_S. testa nodulosa; spira brevi, inermi; labio exteriore supra repando, bilobo, margine cra.s.so, reflexo; apertura laevi, rubescente; ca.n.a.le brevi._

Sh.e.l.l nodulous; spire short, unarmed; outer lip above spreading, two-lobed, margin thick, reflected; aperture smooth, reddish; channel short.

_Seba_, _tab._ 62. _f._ 4. 5. (_optime_) 9. 12. 14. 15. 27. _tab._ 63.

_f._ 6. _Mart._ 3. _tab._ 83. _f._ 836, 837. _Gualt._ _tab._ 32. _f._ F. _Knorr_ 3. _tab._ 11. _f._ 1-6. _tab._ 29. _f._ 8.

Strombus Gallus, ([beta]) _Gmelin_, 3511. 11. S. Raninus, _Gmelin_, 3511. 10.

_S. bituberculatus_, _Lam. Syst._ 7. _p._ 202. 6