CRESTED LAPWING. 135 



and obliquely rounded ; the inner broad and tapering. The 

 tail is of moderate length, broad, even, or very slightly 

 emarginate, of twelve broad, abrupt feathers. 



The bill is brownish-black ; the iris brown ; the feet dull 

 crimson ; the claws black. The whole upper part of the 

 head, including the crest, is black, highly glossed with green 

 and blue ; there are some white feathers on the sides of the 

 forehead and over the eyes ; the sides of the head and neck 

 white, but a black streak under the eyes ; the fore part of 

 the neck and a portion of the breast black, glossed with 

 green and blue ; the back, scapulars, and inner secondaries 

 are of a shining brownish-green, some of the feathers with 

 purple, others with blue reflections, the scapulars tipped 

 with yellowish-white ; the smaller wing-coverts dark blue 

 glossed with green; the breast and abdomen pure white. 

 The primaries and outer secondaries are bluish-black, the 

 outer four primaries with brownish-white at the end ; the 

 carpal, and primary lower wing-coverts black, the cubital 

 coverts and axillaries white, as is the basal half of the 

 secondary quills, their white portion, however, not being 

 visible on the upper surface of the wing ; the upper and 

 lower tail-coverts are light red ; the tail white, with a broad 

 terminal band of black, broadest on the middle feathers, and 

 forming only a spot on the inner web of the outer. 



Length to end of tail 13 inches ; extent of wings 30; wing 

 from flexure 9r 2 ; tail 4/,; bill along the ridge 1, along the 

 edge of lower mandible 1^; tarsus 1}.*; first toe f,, its 

 claw 2 2 ; second toe IS, its claw^; third toe li 2 2 , its claw J2 ; 

 fourth toe li, its claw ?■>. 



Female. — The female is similar, differing only in having 

 the tints of the head and fore-neck somewhat lighter, and the 

 hind-neck brownish-grey. The crest is also less elongated. 



Length to end of tail 12^ inches ; extent of wings 29 ; 

 bill along the ridge 1 ; tarsus 1JS; middle toe and claw li 4 2 . 



Variations.— Albino individuals, of a pure white or 

 cream colour, have been seen, but very rarely. Otherwise 

 the variations are not remarkable. 



