264 ERITHACUS RUBECULA. 



the intestine eight inches long, and from two to one and a 

 half twelfths in diameter ; the coeca cylindrical, two and a 

 half twelfths long, and one inch distant from the extremity. 



The nostrils are linear, nearly two twelfths long ; the aper- 

 ture of the eyes two twelfths across ; that of the ears three 

 twelfths. The feet are slender, the tarsi slightly longer than 

 the middle toe with its claw, slender, and much compressed, 

 covered anteriorly with a long plate in which however are 

 traces of four scutella, and three inferior distinct scutella ; the 

 hind toe stouter, with eight, the second with eight, the third 

 with thirteen, the fourth with twelve scutella. The claws are 

 of moderate length, moderately arched, extremely slender, 

 laterally grooved, and acute. 



The plumage is very soft and blended, the feathers ovate 

 Avith very loose barbs, of which the barbules are long and 

 downy. The feathers about the base of the bill, and especially 

 those before the eyes are terminated by bristle-points ; there 

 is a row of small bristle-feathers along the basal margin of the 

 upper mandible ; and a few extremely slender filaments, hav- 

 ing a slit or penicillate tip, protrude from among the feathers 

 of the nape, as in many Thrushes. The wing is broad, con- 

 cave, and much rounded ; the first quill about half the length 

 of the second, the fourth longest, the fifth scarcely shorter, 

 the third almost as long as the fifth, the second much shorter ; 

 the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth slightly cut out on the outer 

 web towards the end ; the primaries rounded, the secondaries 

 broadly rounded, with a slight acumen. The tail is of mo- 

 derate length, nearly straight, narrow, a little emarginate, the 

 feathers narrow and obliquely pointed. 



The upper mandible is brownish-black, the lower flesh- 

 coloured at the base, dusky at the end. The iris brown. The 

 feet are yellowish-brown, the claws of the same colour. The 

 upper parts of the plumage are olive-green ; the quills and tail- 

 feathers greyish -brown, the outer edges of the former olive- 

 green, of the latter, especially at the base, reddish-brown ; the 

 outer secondary coverts have a small brownish-yellow spot at 

 the tip. The feathers on the anterior part of the forehead, 

 loral space, sides of the head, fore-neck, and anterior part of 



