290 SAXICOLA (ENANTHE. 



body being moderately full, the neck short, the head rather 

 large, ovate and depressed, the wings and legs rather long, and 

 the tail of moderate length. The bill is also of moderate length, 

 and in all respects as described in the generic character. Both 

 mandibles are internally concave, with a central prominent line. 

 The tongue is five-twelfths and a half in length, slit and fringed 

 at the point. The oesophagus is two and a half inches long, 

 moderately wide, its average diameter being two-twelfths and 

 a quarter. The stomach is broadly elliptical, compressed, 

 eight-twelfths long, its lateral muscles moderately strong, the 

 lower indistinct ; its cuticular coat tough, rugous, and of a 

 reddish-brown colour. The intestine is seven inches long, its 

 duodenal portion two-twelfths and a half in diameter ; the 

 coeca oblong, one-twelfth in length, and one inch distant from 

 the extremity. 



The nostrils are oblongo-elliptical, one-twelfth long ; the 

 aperture of the eyes two-twelfths across ; that of the ears three- 

 twelfths. The feet are slender ; the tarsi longer than the 

 middle toe, slender, much compressed, covered anteriorly with 

 a long plate and four inferior scutella, posteriorly with two long 

 plates meeting at a very acute angle ; the hind toe stouter, the 

 two lateral equal, the third much longer ; the first with eight, 

 the second with eight, the third with thirteen, the fourth with 

 twelve scutella. The claws rather long, moderately arched, 

 much compressed, laterally grooved, very acute, but in old birds 

 often blunted. 



The plumage is soft and blended ; the gular feathers bristle- 

 tipped, the bristle-feathers at the base of the upper mandible 

 small. The wings are rather long ; the quills eighteen ; the 

 first about three quarters of an inch long, the third longest, but 

 the second and fourth almost equal ; the third and fourth 

 slightly cut out on the outer web towards the end ; all the 

 primaries rounded, the outer secondaries abruptly rounded and 

 slightly emarginate. The tail is of moderate length, emar- 

 ginate, the lateral feathers slightly bent outwards, all broad 

 and rounded. 



The bill, inside of the mouth, and tongue, deep black. The 

 iris brown. The feet and claws black. The upper part of the 



