GREY LONG-BEAK. 277 



The legs are of moderate length and slender ; the tibia 

 bare for eight-twelfths ; the tarsus moderate, compressed, 

 covered with numerous scutella before and behind, with sub- 

 hexagonal scales on the sides. The hind toe is very small 

 and slender, with six scutella, and a small compressed claw 

 about half its length; the middle toe with its claw about 

 the same length as the tarsus, and connected with the outer 

 toe, which is very slightly longer than the inner, by a web 

 nearly reaching to the second joint of the outer toe, and 

 running along the edges of both to the end. The claws are 

 small, slightly arched, slender, compressed, acute. 



The plumage is soft and blended, but firm. The wings 

 long, narrow, and pointed; the primaries tapering to an 

 obtuse point, the first longest, the rest rapidly diminishing ; 

 the secondaries short, incurvate, obliquely terminated, the 

 inner web extending beyond the outer ; the inner elongated, 

 one of them reaching to half-an-inch of the tip of the longest 

 primary. Tail rather short, nearly even, of twelve rounded 

 feathers. 



The bill is dusky, tinged with green ; the iris brown ; 

 the feet yellowish-green. The upper part of the head and 

 the hind-neck are brownish-grey, with a dusky streak on 

 each feather. The fore part of the back, scapulars, wing- 

 coverts, and inner secondaries brownish-grey, the centre of 

 each feather dusky ; the hind part of the back and the tail 

 white, transversely banded with dark greyish-brown. Alula, 

 primary coverts, and primary quills blackish-brown ; the 

 shaft of the first primary and the terminal margins of the 

 inner five white ; the secondaries and their coverts broAvnish- 

 grey, margined and tipped with white. Over the eye, from 

 the bill, is a broad streak of white ; the loral space dusky ; 

 the cheeks and lower part of the fore-neck grey, streaked 

 with dusky ; the throat, sides, axillars, and lower tail-coverts 

 white, with transverse dark grey bands ; the lower wing- 

 coverts dark grey, with the centre and margins white ; the 

 middle of the breast and the abdomen white. 



Length to end of tail 10£ inches ; extent of wings 18 ; 

 wing from flexure 5-^-; tail 2|-; bill along the ridge 2^, 

 along the edge of lower mandible 2^-; tarsus 1^-; first 



