224 HALIAETUS ALBICILLA. 



Length to end of tail S6 inches ; extent of wings 72; bill 

 along the ridge 3j%, along the edge of lower mandible 3, its 

 height l-/g ; wing from flexure 24 ; tail 11| ; tarsus 4; first 

 toe 1/j, its claw 2j% ; second toe Ij^* its claw 2j% ; third toe 

 8, its claw lj% ; fourth toe 2^^^, its claw l^'^^. 



Female. — The female does not differ from the male in colour, 

 and her superiority in size is often not very remarkable. 



Length to end of tail 40 inches ; extent of wings 80 ; bill 

 along the ridge S{^, along the edge of lower mandible 3j%, its 

 height lj% ; wing from flexure 27^ ; tail 12 ; tarsus 4^ ; first 

 toe H, its claw 2^ ; second toe 1^%, its claw 2^% ; third toe 

 Sj^^, its claw 1/2 ; fourth toe 1/^, its claw l^^. 



Vahiatioxs. — In adult individuals the colouring varies in a 

 considerable degree, older birds having the tints lighter. In 

 some instances the plumage is of a purplish-grey, or bluish- 

 grey, but, I think, never in the wild state. Great differences 

 are also observed in size. Thus I have examined one that mea- 

 sured seven feet four inches between the tips of the wings, and 

 saw in South Uist the skin of one which measured nine feet, 

 while others do not much exceed six. 



The variations which I have noticed in the digestive organs 

 of this species will be best exhibited in a tabular form : 



M. M. M. M. F. F. 



Tongue in length j^ ^i\ — — — — 



Esophagus in length. 15 12 12 12 12^ 15 



Width of crop 4i 3 3 — 3i 4 



Diameter of stomach. 1^^ 2^ 2 — 2^ 2 



Length of intestine... 180 147 143 170 — 120 



Length of duodenum. 24 20 21 _ _ _ 



Greatest width i^| i\ 1% ^2 j^ i 



Smallest width j% j% ^^ ^% A ^V 



Length of coeca /^ -^^ ^^ — ^^ A 



Length of rectum 6 5 5 — 5 — 



Cloaca in width 2 2A 2 — — 2 



