288 COLUMBA (ENAS. 



down, have five entire scutella, and under them a double series 

 of four, the hind part soft, and without scales. The first toe 

 has six, the second nine, the third thirteen, the fourth eleven 

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

 pressed, rather acute. 



The plumage is generally compact, on the head and fore-neck 

 blended, on the abdomen somewhat downy. The feathers are 

 ovate and rounded ; those of the sides and hind part of the neck 

 with flattened shining filaments. The wings are rather long 

 and acute ; the primaries tapering, the second longest, the third 

 almost equal, the first a little shorter ; the secondaries twelve, 

 short, obliquely rounded. The tail is slightly rounded, of twelve 

 broad rounded feathers. 



The horny part of the bill is light brown, the edges greyish- 

 yellow ; the soft parts red, excepting the posterior half of the 

 tumid portion, which is white. The iris is yellowish-red, the 

 bare space around the eye flesh-coloured. The tarsi and toes 

 are carmine-purple ; the claws light brown, towards the end 

 yellowish-grey. 



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

 lower parts as deeply coloured as the upper. The sides and 

 hind part of the neck about the middle are splendent with 

 green and purplish-red ; the lower part of the neck anteriorly 

 is brownish-purple-red, that colour gradually shaded into the 

 blue of the breast. The feathers on the fore part of the back, 

 and the scapulars, are tinged with brown. The primaries and 

 their coverts are greyish-black, more or less light-blue at the 

 base ; the secondaries are light-blue, largely tipped with black- 

 ish. On the outer webs of the three inner and of their coverts, 

 is a large patch of black. The tail has a broad terminal band 

 of greyish-black. The downy parts of the feathers are light 

 grey. 



Length to end of tail 14 inches, to end of wings when closed 

 12; extent of w4ngs 26; wing from flexure 9i ; tail 5 ; bill 

 along the back !§, along the edge of loAver mandible 1 ; tarsus 

 1/j ; first toe i, its claw 4^ twelfths ; second toe 9i twelfths, 

 its claw 3^7j ; third toe 1/^, its claw 5i twelfths; fourth toe 

 \^y its claw 3 1 twelfths. 



