42 UPUPA EPOPS. 



being about two inches in length, and are capable of being 

 erected from their ordinary position, in which they are recum- 

 bent. The first quill is an inch and five-twelfths shorter than 

 the second, which is seven-twelfths shorter than the third, the 

 fourth a twelfth and a half longer, being the longest ; the 

 secondary quills are very long, broad, and rounded ; the tail is 

 almost even. The rest of the plumage is very soft and blended. 



The bill is black, with the base flesh-coloured ; the feet dusky 

 brown, the claws paler beneath. The crest-feathers are light red, 

 largely tipped with bluish-black, succeeding a white band ; the 

 rest of the head, and the neck all round, light purplish-red ; the 

 fore part of the back and anterior wing-coverts of the same colour, 

 tinged with greyish-brown ; the feathers on the middle of the 

 back and the scapulars are black, with a broad bar of pale red or 

 reddish-white ; on the rump is a white patch ; and the upper 

 tail-coverts are white, with a black terminal band. The tail 

 is black, with a broad band of white disposed in the form of a 

 crescent, its distance from the tip of the middle feathers being 

 an inch and a half, from that of the lateral feathers scarcely 

 half an inch, the outer feather on each side with an additional 

 white band toward the base ; the smaller wing-coverts are 

 black, with a white band ; the larger also black, the primary 

 without white markings, the secondary with two bands of red- 

 dish-wdiite ; the primary quills are glossy bluish-black, with a 

 broad band of white toward the end, the band of the first being 

 only on the inner web ; the secondary quills gradually become 

 tinged with brown, and assume two additional bands of white, 

 tinged with red on the inner, which are margined with pale 

 red. The light-red of the fore-neck becomes paler on the 

 breast ; some of the feathers on the sides are streaked with 

 dusky ; and the abdomen and lower tail-coverts are white. 



Length to end of tail 12 inches; bill along the ridge 2^ ; 

 wing from flexure 5^% ; tail 4-1^^ ; tarsus \% ; hind toe |%' '^^^ 

 claw y'^ ; second toe ^^, its claw |i ; third toe ^^, its claw ^^l ; 

 fourth toe i"tj, its claw ^o. 



Female. — The female is similar to the male, differing only 

 in having the bill and crest shorter, and the plumage paler. 



