310 FALCO SUBBUTEO. 



nected at the base by short webs, the first strong, the fourth 

 considerably longer than the second, the third much longer ; 

 the hind toe with eight scutella, the second with twelve, the 

 third eighteen, the fourth fourteen. 



On the upper parts the plumage is firm and rather compact, 

 on the lower rather blended. The cere is for the most part 

 bare ; the loral space covered with diverging bristle-tipped 

 plumelets. The feathers of the head are short and rounded, 

 of the back oblong, as are those of the breast, of the sides of 

 the body and outer part of the tibia elongated. The wings are 

 very long, narrowed toward the end, and pointed ; the second 

 quill longest, but not much exceeding the first, which has the 

 inner web abruptly cut out toward the end. The tail is rather 

 long, slightly rounded ; the feathers broad, rounded, but when 

 new acuminate. 



The bill is light blue at the base, bluish-black toward the 

 end ; the cere, eyelids, and feet yellow, the claws black. The 

 general colour of the upper parts is greyish-black, the shafts of 

 the feathers darker, and their margins of a paler tint ; the hind 

 part of the neck above the middle white ; the quills black, 

 with transverse yellowish-brown spots on the inner webs ; the 

 tail dark brownish-grey, the inner webs of all the feathers, ex- 

 cepting the two middle, with transverse reddish-white marks ; 

 the throat and sides of the neck are white ; a mystachial black 

 band proceeds from the angle of the mouth on each side ; the 

 breast and abdomen are yellowish-white, with longitudinal 

 dark-brown streaks ; the tibial feathers, and the lower tail- 

 coverts bright orange-red. 



Length to end of tail 12 inches, extent of wings 26 ; wing 

 from flexure 10 ; tail 51 ; bill along the ridge ^%, along the 

 edge of lower mandible j-^ ; tarsus l^-^^ ; hind toe ^% , its 

 claw ^^1 ; second toe j§, its claw j% ; third toe l^%, its claw /| ; 

 fourth toe l^^g, its claw j%. 



Female. — The female, which is considerably larger, resem- 

 bles the male in colour, diflferingonly in having the upper parts 

 tinged with brown, the lower reddish- white, the tibial feathers 

 and lower tail-coverts of a lighter red, and the tail obscurely 



