COMMON RAZOR-BILL. 349 



white. Behind the eye is a narrow blackish-grey band, and 

 the sides of the neck, nearly half way down, are mottled with 

 the same. 



Length to end of tail 17^ inches ; extent of wings 28 ; 

 wing from flexnre 8^; tail S-{^ ; bill along the ridge l-j^; 

 along the edge of lower mandible 2-fj ; its greatest height 

 if ; tarsus 1^ ; inner toe 1^, its claw -f^ ; middle toe 1-^, 

 its claw -fV ; outer toe 1^, its claw -^. 



Female. — The female differs from the male only in being 

 somewhat less. 



Length to end of tail 16^ inches ; extent of wings 27. 



Change of Plumage. — In adult birds the quills, tail- 

 feathers, and apparently those of the body, are changed in 

 autumn, from August to the middle of October, there being 

 at that season a complete moult, during part of which the 

 birds are often found unable to fly. In spring the plumage 

 of the head and neck is changed, the new feathers being dif- 

 ferently coloured. As the summer advances, the black plum- 

 age gradually fades to brown, often in a very remarkable 

 degree, the primary quills and coverts at length becoming 

 brownish-grey. By this time the quills and tail-feathers 

 have become ragged. 



Male in Summer. — A partial change of the plumage 

 having been effected in spring, the bird differs considerably 

 in its summer dress. The colours of the bill and feet remain 

 as before, but the inside of the mouth is of a brighter yellow, 

 the basal margins of the bill orange. The head, and upper 

 part of the neck all round are black ; the throat and cheeks 

 tinged with purplish-red ; the narrow bands from the bill to 

 the eyes pure white and conspicuous. The rest of the plumage 

 coloured as in winter, but the wings tinged with brown, and 

 gradually becoming more so as the season advances. 



- Female in Summer. — The female cannot be distinguished 

 from the male. 



