258 PERNIS APIVORA. 



be induced to consider our specimen as young, for in the latter 

 species the young are much darker than the adult, and have 

 the bands on the tail more distinct. I am therefore inclined 

 to agree with M. Temminck in this matter. The other speci- 

 men which I have examined I shall now describe. 



Adult Male. — In form and proportions this individual 

 agreed with the above. The tarsi, which are feathered ante- 

 riorly about halfway down, are covered with flat hexagonal 

 scales, of which the anterior are very large, and six in a line. 

 The toes are covered above with transverse series of scales, en- 

 larging toward the end, where they change into scutella, of 

 which there are four on the first, three on the second, three on 

 the third, and four on the fourth. The claws are long, slen- 

 der, curved in about the fourth of a circle, flat beneath, ex- 

 tremely acute. The plumage is soft, but compact, rather 

 glossy on the back and wings. The cere quite bare. The fea- 

 thers on the loral spaces and fore part of the head and cheeks 

 small, ovate, and compact ; those on the rest of the head short 

 and rounded ; on the body broad and rounded ; the elongated 

 feathers of the tibise and abdomen more compact than usual. 

 The wings very long, broad, and rounded ; the first five pri- 

 mary quills deeply sinuate on the inner web, and beyond the 

 sinus having their edges nearly parallel until near the rounded 

 tips ; the secondary quills thirteen, very long, broadly rounded, 

 with a minute acumen. Tail nearly as long as the body, neck, 

 and head, even, but with the lateral feathers on each side a 

 little shorter. 



Bill black ; cere dusky ; tarsi and toes yellow, claws black. 

 The head to behind the eyes, the auriculars, and the short fea- 

 thers margining the lower mandible, are light brownish-grey. 

 That colour gradually passes on the hind-neck into deep umber- 

 brown, which is the general tint of the upper parts, which are 

 however shaded with grey, the shaft of each feather, together 

 with a patch on the centre, being blackish-brown. All the 

 feathers are white at the base, those on the hind-neck for two- 

 thirds of their length. The larger wing-coverts and scapulars 

 are brownish-grey in the middle ; the secondary quills grey in 



