228 TRLNGA MINUTA. 



scarcely enlarged at the end ; both mandibles laterally 

 grooved nearly in their whole length. Nostrils linear, a 

 twelfth long ; eyes small. Legs slender ; the tibia bare for 

 four-twelfths of an inch ; the tarsus ten-twelfths long, Avith 

 twenty scutella. The first toe very diminutive, with four 

 scutella, the second with eighteen, the third twenty-six, the 

 fourth twenty ; the anterior toes entirely destitute of basal 

 webs. The claws rather long, very slender, compressed, 

 tapering, arched, acute. 



The plumage is very soft and blended ; the feathers on 

 the back ovato-oblong, and rather compact. The wings 

 are very long, with twenty-five quills ; the first primary 

 longest, the rest rapidly graduated ; the secondaries incurved, 

 the inner very elongated and tapering. The tail is short, 

 doubly emarginate, the lateral feathers being a little longer 

 than the next, and the middle feathers considerably longer 

 than they. 



The bill and feet are black. The general colour of the 

 upper parts is brownish-grey, each feather with a dusky 

 medial line, and the margins somewhat paler; the sides of the 

 head of a lighter grey ; those of the neck streaked with 

 whitish, and on its lower part tinged with brown. There 

 is a dusky-grey loral band, and a whitish-grey streak passes 

 over the eye. The throat, fore neck, breast, abdomen, lower 

 tail-coverts, axillars, and lower wing-coverts, are white, with 

 the exception of the coverts along the margin of the wing, 

 which are dusky unless on the edges. The quills and greater 

 coverts are greyish-black, the latter faintly tipped with white. 

 The middle tail-coverts are greyish-brown, the lateral white ; 

 the two middle tail-feathers dark greyish-brown, the rest 

 ash-grey, all narrowly edged with white. 



Length to end of tail 6 inches ; wing from flexure 4-jL- ; 

 tail 1 T V ; bill along the ridge -ff , along the edge of lower 

 mandible -Lf ; bare part of tibia -yV ; tarsus \% ; first toe -fe, 

 its claw a half-twelfth ; second toe -^j, its claw -^ ; third 

 toe -fe, its claw -^ ; fourth toe ^V, its claw -fe. 



Female in Winter. — The female is similar to the male, 

 but slightly larger. 



