491 LESTRIS RICHARDSONII. 



fourth twenty-six ; the lateral toes margined externally, with 

 small prominent scales directed outwards. The interdigital 

 wehs are nearly straight anteriorly and crenulate. The claAvs 

 are of moderate length, well curved, much compressed, very 

 acute, that of the third toe with a sharp, little expanded, 

 inner edge. 



The plumage is close, elastic, soft but rather firm, blended, 

 but on the back and wings compact ; the feathers ovato- 

 elliptical, rounded ; those on the upper hind part and sides 

 of the neck with their terminal filaments stiff and rather 

 silky. Wings very long, rather broad, pointed, with thirty 

 quills ; the primaries rather broad, tapering to an obtuse 

 point, the first longest, the second a third of an inch shorter, 

 the rest rapidly graduated ; the outer secondaries incurved, 

 obliquely rounded, the inner web extending beyond the 

 outer ; the inner secondaries elongated, broad, and pointed. 

 The tail-feathers are of moderate length, abruptly rounded, 

 repand on the inner web at the end ; the lateral a quarter of 

 an inch shorter than those next the middle feathers, which 

 extend three inches and a quarter beyond them, and are of 

 moderate breadth, taper gradually from the base, but more 

 rapidly toward the point, which is attenuated. 



The bill is greyish-black, with a tinge of blue, the base 

 of the lower mandible slightly tinged with flesh-colour. Iris 

 hazel. Feet and claws black. The upper part of the head 

 is blackish-brown ; the hind part and loAver sides of the neck 

 gieyish-brown ; the back, wings, and tail blackish-brown ; 

 tlie quills and tail-feathers darker, toward the base pale, the 

 primaries, with a portion of the base, more extended on the 

 inner web, white ; their shafts white initil near the end ; the 

 secondaries and tail-feathers with the terminal dark part of 

 the shafts more extended. Part of the forehead, the cheeks 

 beyond the eyes, and the sides and upper hind part of the 

 neck white, tinged with pale yellow, the ternn'nal compact 

 filaments beiug of that colour. The lower ])arts are white, 

 the neck anteriorly tinged with greyish-brown ; the axillars 

 and lower wing-coverts dark greyish-brown, the abdomen 

 tinged with the same coloin', >\hich deepcnis on the lower 

 tail-coverts. 



