ROOK. 537 



teen, the fourth with eleven scutella. The claws are strong, 

 large, arched, compressed, their sides grooved, their curve less 

 than that of the claws of the preceding species. 



The plumage is of ordinary length, highly glossed, silky, on 

 the head and neck blended, on the back and wings rather com- 

 pact, on the lower parts rather loose. The feathers are abraded 

 from the base of the bill as far as the eyes, and from the skin 

 of the throat to the extent of two inches from the angle of the 

 lower mandible. The wings are long, much rounded; the 

 primary quills straight, tapering ; the first, second, third, 

 fourth, fifth, and sixth, having the inner web cut out, the 

 second, third, fourth, and fifth the outer. The fourth quill is 

 lonofest, the third two twelfths shorter, the fifth about as much 

 shorter than the third, the second an inch shorter than the 

 third and half an inch longer than the sixth, the first about 

 half the length of the fourth, and a little longer than the ninth. 

 The secondary quills, twelve in number, are broad, slightly 

 incurved, the outer abrupt and acuminate, the inner rounded. 

 The wings reach to near the end of the tail, which is nearly 

 straight, rounded, of twelve broad, broadly rounded feathers. 



The bill, feet, and claws are black ; the iris brown. The 

 abraded space about the bill is dusky, with numerous whitish 

 scurfy papilla?, each containing the base of a feather ; some- 

 times this part, especially at the base of the upper mandible, 

 is diseased, and I have seen the nostrils almost closed. The 

 general colour of the plumage is deep black ; the head and 

 neck very highly glossed with vivid blue and purple reflections ; 

 the upper parts with purplish-blue ; the lower with purple 

 and a little green, the primary quills, their coverts, and the 

 alula with green. 



There is considerable variation as to size, the largest which 

 I have examined measuring 21 inches in length, the small- 

 est 18. 



Length to end of tail 19 1 inches ; extent of wings SS.} ; wing 

 from flexure 12f ; tail 71 ; bill along the back 2^^, along the 

 edge of lower mandible 2^^ ; tarsus 2^ ; first toe 1, its claw 

 \% ; second toe l^^^., its claw {'^ ; third toe 1/^, its claw 8| 

 twelfths ; fourth toe 1, its claw ^\ twelfths. 



