494 LANILS EXCUBITOR. 



being four-twelfths. The feet are moderately stout ; the tarsus 

 of ordinary length, rather slender, compressed, with seven broad 

 anterior scutella, its lateral plates meeting at an acute angle 

 behind, the outer divided into seven pieces ; the hind toe strong, 

 with eight scutella, the anterior toes rather small, the outer a 

 little shorter than the inner, which has eight, the middle 

 twelve, and the outer ten scutella. The claws are rather long, 

 arched, much compressed, laterally convex, and very acute. 



The plumage is very soft and blended ; the feathers ovate, 

 with their filaments loose toward the margins. There are six 

 strong bristles at the base of the upper mandible on each side, 

 and the feathers covering the nasal membrane are bristly and 

 directed forwards. The wings, Fig. 250, are of moderate length, 

 and very broad ; the third quill longest, the fourth almost as 

 long, or equal when the wing is closed, the first nearly half the 

 length of the third, and an inch and four-twelfths shorter than 

 the second, which is seven-twelfths of an inch shorter than the 

 third, and intermediate in length between the sixth and seventh. 

 There are nineteen quills, of which the primaries are narrowly, 

 the secondaries broadly rounded, with a minute tip. The tail 

 is long, straight, graduated, the lateral feathers an inch and tw^o- 

 twelfths shorter than those next the middle, the latter being 

 one-twelfth of an inch shorter than those on each side. 



The upper mandible is brownish-black, with a'little pale 

 yellowish-grey on the margins at the base ; the lower mandible 

 of the latter colour, with the tip brownish-black. The iris 

 dark brown. The feet brownish-black. The upper parts are 

 light ash-grey, the rump paler. A narrow band of wdiite mar- 

 gins the forehead, and extends over the eyes ; and beneath it a 

 broad band of black commences narrow on the middle of the 

 forehead, covers the loral space, extends over and beneath the 

 eye, and expands on the ear-coverts, beyond which it termi- 

 nates. The terminal half of the outer scapulars is white. The 

 wing-coverts, alula, and quills are brownish-black, the prima- 

 ries toward the end externally greyish-brown. The edge of 

 the wing, a patch formed by the base of the primaries and 

 secondaries, and the tips of all the quills white, excepting 

 those of the outer three, the secondaries being more largely 

 tipped. 



