PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 213 



sinuation of the four first quills as iu the adult bird, with the exception 

 that the inner web of the fourth primary also is slightly siuuated. The 

 number of the primaries is 10, and of the secondaries 23. 

 Tail feathers 20. 



The middle portion of the bill (in the newly killed bird) is of a dull 

 purplish lead-color, lighter and changing into pale pinkish red on the 

 hind part of the skin, covering the nasal fossa? and the processus max- 

 illaris of the nasal bone, becoming plumbeous at the borders of this 

 area 5 the remaining portion of the bill and the nearly naked lores, is 

 l)lumbeous black, a small stripe of which also is to be found behind the 

 openings of the nostrils. The borders of the dark color are very indis- 

 tinct, forming numerous more or less perceptible islets within the light 

 area.' The tomium of the lower mandible dark purplish plumbeous, be- 

 coming almost black at the base. 



Legs light pfumbeous-gray, dark, almost black in the midst of the 

 web. The underside of the feet blackish with a stripe mostly of bluish 

 white on the webs along the toes. 

 Iris dark. 



The color of the plumage is dull ash-gray, tinged with lavender, and 

 en neck, shoulders, and middle wing-coverts each feather bordered with 

 light yellowiyh gray. The head is much darker, the crown being 

 especially dull brownish, while the chin is much lighter, and a grayish 

 white spot is to be found right under the eye. The hinder back, and 

 upper part of the rump are quite white, the rest of the rump and the tail- 

 coverts the same as the shoulders; one of the tail-coverts was quite white, 

 and as its base was still in the sheath,* showing itself to be a feather of 

 the coming white plumage. The remiges are white, with broad pure 

 gray tips, this color reaching back as far as the siuuation ; on the first 

 and second still longer. The tail feathers are darker ashy gray, the 

 basal half of the shafts being white. Whole of the under surface light 

 grayish with a slight tinge of yellowish. iTnder wing-coverts and 

 axillaries pure white. The shafts of the upper surface are somewhat 

 darker than the webs, but not very perceptibly so, and do not form any 

 distinct dark strij)es. 



Another young specimen in flesh (for the examination of which I am 

 indebted to the kindness of Professor S. F. Baird), killed 14th Decem- 

 ber, 1881, measured from tip of the bill to the end of the tail 1,225""'. 

 The bill had the same color as the foregoing specimen, but the light 

 portion was somewhat more pinkish red. The plumage was also similar, 

 with the exception that the whole underside behind the neck was white 

 with faint rusty tinge on the border of each feather. 



In addition to the statements above about the color of the bill of the 

 young bird, I give the following note, kindly given me by Mr. E. W. 

 Nelson, showing the color of several freshly killed specimens, shot at St. 



* "The outer follicle," Nitscli, Pterylographie. 



