ROCK DOVE. 269 



edges towards the end sharp and inflected, the tip obtuse, the 

 angle small. Both mandibles are deeply concave internally. 

 The mouth is only four-twelfths of an inch across. The tongue 

 is very slender, seven and a half twelfths in length, emarginate 

 at the base, horny towards the end, and pointed. 



The eyes are rather small ; the eyelids bare, and having in 

 their vicinity a bare space of considerable extent. The nostrils 

 are linear, wider anteriorly, two and a half twelfths long. The 

 aperture of the ear is roundish or obliquely oblong, a line and 

 a half in diameter. 



The tarsi, which are very short, and feathered anteriorly one- 

 third do^vn, have five entire and two lower divided scutella, 

 their hind part soft, without scales, but scurfy. The first toe 

 has six, the second eight, the third fourteen, the fourth eleven 

 scutella. The claws are arched in the third of a circle, com- 

 pressed, rather acute, the dilated inner margin of that of the 

 third toe usually broken near the tip, and undulated. 



The plumage is generally compact, short, and imbricated ; 

 on the abdomen downy and blended. The feathers are mostly 

 ovate and rounded, those of the lower part of the neck all 

 round have their filaments flattened and shining. The wings 

 are rather long and acute ; the primaries tapering, the second 

 longest, the first almost equal, the third considerably shorter ; 

 the secondaries twelve, short, obliquely truncate. The tail is 

 straight, slightly rounded, the feathers broad and abruptly 

 rounded. 



The horny part of the bill is brownish-black, as is the an- 

 terior half of its tumid portion, of which the rest is white. 

 The iris is bright yellowish-red ; the bare space around the 

 eye flesh-coloured. The tarsi and toes are carmine-purple ; 

 the claws dark greyish-brown or black. 



The general colour of the plumage is light greyish-blue, the 

 lower parts being as deeply coloured as the upper. The middle 

 of the neck all round is splendent with green, its lower part 

 with purplish-red. The back and the upper part of the sides, 

 from near the shoulders to near the tail, are pure white, as are 

 the lower wing-coverts and axillaries. The primaries and 

 their coverts are brownish-grey on the outer web, the former 



