150 SOMATERIA MOLLISSIMA. 



are rather short, very concave, narrow, and pointed ; the 

 primary quills curved, strong, tapering, the first a twelfth of 

 an inch shorter than the second, the rest quickly decreasing ; 

 the outer secondaries hroad and rounded, the inner eight 

 elongated, tapering, and curved outwards. The tips of the 

 wings extend only to the hase of the tail, which is very 

 short, rounded, slightly decurvate, of sixteen stiffish pointed 

 feathers. 



The rough tumid hasal part of the upper mandible is oil- 

 green, the rest bluish-grey tinged with green, the unguis 

 greyish-yellow ; the unguis and end of the lower mandible 

 pale greenish-grey, the rest bluish-grey tinged with green. 

 The iris is deep brown. The feet are oil-green, the mem- 

 branes and soles pale greenish-brown, the claws pale brown. 

 The upper part of the head is black, that colour including 

 the lower eyelids, and margining the lateral sinus above as 

 far as the nostrils ; from near the middle of the head above 

 to the occiput, a medial band of wliite. The sides of the 

 head, the throat, and the neck are white ; but the hair-like 

 feathers on the hind part of the cheeks and nape are of a 

 delicate pale green ; and the lower neck all round, but 

 especially before, is cream-coloured. The back, smaller 

 wing-coverts, and inner elongated curved secondary quills 

 are white, the scapulars tinged with yellow. The alula, 

 primary coverts, and quills are greyish-brown, the outer 

 secondary quills and their coverts brownish-black. The 

 breast, abdomen, sides, and upper tail-coverts, Avith the 

 medial part of the rump, brownish-black ; the lower wing- 

 coverts partly white, but chiefly grey; the tail greyish- 

 brown. The gloss on the black parts is ordinary, on the 

 white dullish, on the pale green of the head and neck silky. 

 The above description is taken from a recent specimen, 

 shot near North Berwick, in the beginning of May, 1824, 

 and corrected by comparing many others at various times. 



Length to end of tail 26 inches ; extent of Avings 40 ; 

 wing from flexure 11 j ; tail 4; bill along the ridge 2-j%, 

 from the frontal angles 3, along the edge of lower mandible 

 2-^2, its height at the base Yk, its breadth behind the 

 unguis ^ ; tarsus Ijf > hind toe -^, its claw -^ ; second 



