CREAM-COLOURED COUkSER. 43 



rather elongated, the neck shortish, the head of moderate 

 size, and oblong. The bill is rather shorter than the head, 

 slender, depressed at the base, compressed toward the end, 

 considerably arcuate, acute. The feet are long; the tibia 

 bare to the extent of an inch, scutellate anteriorly ; the tarsus 

 compressed, with fifteen anterior scutella ; the toes short, 

 the inner with nine, the second with twenty-six, the third 

 with twelve scutella ; the outer much longer than the inner, 

 and connected with the third by a narrow basal membrane. 

 The claws are small, slender, little arched, acute, that of the 

 middle toe with a dilated, somewhat notched inner edge. 



The wings are nearly as long as the tail when closed, 

 narrow, and pointed ; with the primary quills broad, but 

 tapering, the first and second about equal ; the secondaries 

 short, slightly incurved, the inner very long. The tail is 

 short, slightly rounded, of twelve soft, rounded feathers. 



The bill is dusky ; the feet yellowish. The general 

 colour of the plumage is light yellowish-brown, approaching 

 to cream-colour ; the lower parts paler, and fading behind 

 into whitish. The occiput and part of the nape ash-grey, 

 with the tips of the feathers black ; the fore part of the head 

 light red. From over the eye to the occiput is a white band, 

 and below it a band of black. The primary quills are 

 brownish-black ; the secondaries cream-coloured, with a dusky 

 patch toward the end, and the tips white ; but the inner 

 without dark colour. The lower wing-coverts and axillar 

 feathers are blackish-brown. The tail is rufous, all the 

 feathers, except the middle, with a black patch toward the 

 end, and tipped with white. 



Length to end of tail 10 inches ; wing from flexure 6f ; 

 tail 3; bill 1, along the lower mandible 1^; bare part of 

 tibia 1 ; tarsus 1^-g- ; inner toe -£7, its claw -fj ; middle toe ^-, 

 its claw ^V ; outer toe -^, its claw -f^ . 



Female. — The female resembles the male in colour. 



Habits. — It is said to inhabit various parts of Africa, and 

 especially Abyssinia. Individuals have occurred in Italy, 

 Spain, Switzerland, France, and Germany ; but in the latter 



