BROWN-HOODED MEW. 595 



with thick margins, the soles fiat. The toes small, com- 

 pressed, deeply gi'ooved at the base, rather acute. 



Plumage full, soft, blended, on the back and Avings rather 

 compact. Wings about two inches and a half longer than 

 the tail ; the primaries tapering to an obtuse point ; the 

 secondaries twenty-two, the outer incurved. The tail of 

 moderate length, even. 



The bill, edges of the eyelids, and feet, are deep carmine ; 

 the inside of the mouth of a lighter tint ; the iris brown ; the 

 claws broAvnish-black. The head, neck, lower parts, edge of 

 the wing, outer four primary coverts, upper tail-coverts, and 

 tail, are pure white. The feathers of the upper part of the 

 head, however, are dark-grey, unless at the tip, and that 

 colour appears on the crown and occiput ; before the eyes is 

 a crescent of black, and over the ear a blackish-grey spot. 

 The first quill is Avhite, with a large portion of the outer 

 web and its tip deep black, and a narrow band along the 

 margin of the inner web of a lighter tint, or brownish-black ; 

 the second white, wath the tip black, and its inner margin to 

 a gi"eatcr breadth brownish- black ; the third with part of the 

 outer web, near the end, the tip, and a broader band along its 

 iimer margin, black, with a slight mark of white on the tip ; 

 the fourth similar, Avith a band of greyish-blue within the 

 black band on the inner web ; the fifth like the fourth, with 

 a tinge of blue on the outer Aveb, and the whole of the inner 

 Aveb greyish-blue, unless toAvard the margin, Avhich is black ; 

 the next bluish-grey, with a black band at the end; the third, 

 fourth, fifth, and sixth quills tipped with white ; all the other 

 quills like the back, the inner four primaries and outer five or 

 six secondaries not tipped with Avhite, but the rest having a 

 considerable terminal space of that colour. The axillar feathers 

 are pure white, as are the smaller loAver Aving-coverts next the 

 edge of the Aving : but all the other coverts are pale greyish- 

 blue. On the lower surface the primaries have the parts 

 Avhich are black above of a blackish-grey colour, and the inner 

 four also have their inner Avebs so tinged, although they are 

 light bluish-gi'ey above. The secondaries are of a silvery- 

 grey tint, Avith a sattiny lustre beneath ; the lower surface of 

 the tail-feathers is also sattiny, though Avhite. 



