PIED STELLERIA. 165 



Avhitc, the outer black with blue reflections ; the primaries 

 and coverts brownish-black, the tail black, as are the lower 

 tail-coverts and abdomen ; the rest of the lower parts deep 

 reddish-buff, fading towards the shoulders and neck into 

 pure white ; there is a bluish-black spot on each side of the 

 lower part of the neck anterior to the wing. 



" Length to end of tail 16 inches ; bill along the ridge 

 yV ; wing from flexure 8f ; tail 4 ; tarsus l-j\ ; inner toe 

 and claw 1^; middle toe and claw 2|; outer toe and claw 

 2^ ; breadth of unguis of upper mandible f ; breadth of bill 

 at base f ." 



Mr. Yarrell gives a description of an adult male taken 

 from a specimen belonging to Mr. John Leadbeater. But, 

 to avoid extracting too much from an esteemed fellow- 

 student, I may give M. Temminck's account : — " Space be- 

 tween the bill and the eye, and a large occipital patch, of a 

 fine pistachio-green ; throat, fore part of neck, and a spot 

 behind the eyes, pure black ; all the rest of the head and 

 the upper part of the neck pure white ; at the lower part of 

 the neck a broad bottle-green collar ; this tint a little darker 

 extends over the feathers of the back ; the thoracic region, 

 the wing-coverts, and the greater portion of the scapulars, 

 pure white ; the longest of the scapulars curved like a sickle ; 

 these feathers have the outer barbs (webs) broad, and of a 

 glossy blackish-blue ; their inner barbs (webs) are very 

 narrow and white. (He omits the blue speculum, tipped 

 with white, of the outer secondary quills.) Breast and lower 

 parts of a fine yellowish -red, deeper on the abdomen ; there 

 is on each side of the breast a large ovoidal black spot ; 

 quills and tail-feathers blackish-brown. Bill and feet 

 blackish-grey; iris light brown. Length 17 to 18 inches. 

 The old male three years old." 



Female. — "The female and the young male have the 

 head and neck cream-coloured, with brown streaks ; back 

 black, with the edges of the feathers light red ; breast deep 

 brown, marbled with red and chestnut ; wing-coverts slate- 

 colour, the largest tipped with white ; that colour forms a 

 transverse band ; a second white band is produced by the 



