SEDGE REEDLING. 391 



that species, it being considerably broader than high at the 

 base, compressed towards the end ; the upper mandible with 

 its dorsal outline sloping a little, the sides convex towards the 

 end, the edges direct, the notch very slight, the tip a little de- 

 flected ; the lower mandible straight, its angle narrow, the 

 dorsal outline ascending and almost straight, the edges a little 

 inflected, the tip acute. The nostrils are elliptical, scarcely 

 three quarters of a twelfth long ; the aperture of the eyes a 

 twelfth and a half, that of the ears two-twelfths and a half. 

 The feet are rather long and slender ; the tarsus much com- 

 pressed, as are the toes ; the former with seven distinct scu- 

 tella, the first toe with six, the second with eight, the third 

 with ten, the fourth with nine. The claws are long, arched, 

 very slender, extremely compressed, laterally grooved, and very 

 acute. 



The plumage is blended, the feathers oblong and rounded ; 

 the bristle-feathers at the base of the upper mandible very 

 small. The wings are rather short, a little concave, with nine- 

 teen rounded quills ; the first about a fifth of the length of the 

 second, which is scarcely shorter than the third, but a little 

 longer than the fourth. The tail is rather long, straight, and 

 slightly rounded. 



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

 coloured, towards the end dusky. The iris is brown. The 

 tarsi are pale yellowish-grey, the toes a little darker, the claws 

 wood-brown. The upper part of the head is brownish-black, 

 streaked with light brown, the edges of the feathers being of 

 the latter colour ; the hind-neck, scapulars, and fore part of the 

 back are reddish-brown, tinged with grey, each feather having 

 a dark brown central spot ; the hind part of the back is light 

 reddish-brown, unspotted, although there is still a brown cen- 

 tral mark, the upper tail-coverts more dusky. The quills and 

 coverts are dusky-brown, edged with pale greyish-brown ; the 

 tail similar, the lateral feathers of the same colour as the rest. 

 A broad yellowish-white band extends from the base of the 

 nasal membrane over the eye ; the loral space is dusky-brown, 

 as are the ear-coverts. The lower parts are brownish-white, 

 the fore part and sides of the neck, and the sides of the body 



