596 ANSER SEGETUM. 



The bill, similar in form to that of the last species, but 

 smaller, is about the length of the head, higher than broad at 

 the base ; the upper mandible with the ridge broad and rather 

 convex at the base, gradually narrowed and convex towards the 

 end, terminated by a circular convex unguis, the dorsal line 

 sloping on the unguis, arcuato-decurvate, the sides sloping, 

 the edges slightly arched, marginate, with twenty-four oblique 

 lamellae, of which the outer ends are dentiform and rather 

 acute ; the lower mandible with the intercrural space rather 

 narrow, rounded anteriorly, extending nearly to the unguis, 

 which is smaller and less convex than the upper, the lower 

 outline of the crura a little convex, their sides rounded, the 

 edges sloping inwards, and having about forty lamellae. 



The nostrils are medial, lateral, longitudinal, oblong, 

 pervious in the anterior and lower part of the narrow oblong 

 nasal space, which is covered by membrane, and parallel to 

 the ridge. The eyes are small, their aperture being four- 

 twelfths. The legs rather short and strong ; the tibia bare 

 for about eight-twelfths of an inch ; the tarsus compressed, 

 covered all round with angular scales, of which the anterior 

 are sub-hexagonal, flat, with a small central prominence, the 

 posterior rhomboidal. The first toe is very small and free, 

 the anterior toes large, the third considerably longer than the 

 fourth, the second shorter than the latter; the middle toe 

 with thirty narrow scutella extending to near the base, the 

 inner with eighteen, the outer twenty-eight scutella. The 

 margin of the inner expanded, thin, somewhat two-lobed, the 

 interdigital membranes with roundish scales. The claws are 

 short, strong, slightly curved, obtuse, that of the middle toe 

 dilated internally, and rounded. 



The feathers of the head are very small and short, oblong, 

 rounded, and blended ; of the upper part of the neck small, 

 linear-oblong, imbricated, and arranged in lines so as to pre- 

 sent deep intervening grooves ; the feathers of the fore part 

 of the back and wings very close, large, broad, abrupt, and 

 curved ; the scapulars very large ; the feathers of the hind 

 part of the back smaller, flatter, rounded at the end, and less 

 close ; those of the breast ovate, rather small, of the sides 

 very large and abrupt. The wings are broad, and rather 



