686 MEROPS APIASTER. 



capable of spreading, the inner being adherent for nearly half, 

 and the outer for about two thirds of its length, the first with 

 eight, each of the rest with about sixteen scutella ; the claws 

 rather long, decurved, much compressed, laterally grooved, 

 acute. 



The plumage is rather firm and glossy, but blended ; the 

 feathers ovate, with the filaments separated. The wings long 

 and pointed ; the first quill slender and pointed, nine twelfths 

 of an inch in length, the second longest, exceeding the third by 

 two twelfths ; the inner primaries and most of the secondaries 

 distinctly notched at the end. The tail is long, the feathers 

 distinctly notched and nearly of equal length, except the mid- 

 dle two, which taper to an obtuse point, and extend about an 

 inch beyond the rest. 



The bill is black ; the iris red ; the feet reddish-brown, the 

 claws dusky. The forehead is light greenish-blue, fading an- 

 teriorly into white, and prolonged over the eyes ; the upper 

 part of the head, the hind-neck and the back, brownish-red, 

 deeper on the head, and gradually fading behind into light 

 yellowish-brown, of which colour are the scapulars and rump, 

 of which however the tips incline to pale greenish-blue. The 

 wing-coverts are greenish-blue ; but on the wing is a patch of 

 brownish-red, formed by some of the small coverts, and the 

 outer webs of some of the secondary coverts, and secondary 

 quills. The primary quills and coverts are greenish-blue, with 

 the inner webs duller, dusky, and becoming brownish-black at 

 the end ; the secondary quills are brownish-red on both webs, 

 brownish-black toward the end, with a little greenish-blue on 

 the outer margin ; the inner quills chiefly greenish-blue. The 

 upper tail-coverts are bluish-green ; the tail-feathers similar, 

 with part of the inner webs of all except the middle two, brown. 

 The loral space, and a band below and behind the eye, are 

 black ; the throat is rich yellow, margined under the eyes 

 with pale greenish-blue, and terminated behind by a band of 

 black ; beyond which, the lower parts are verdigris green, or 

 light bluish-green ; the lower wing coverts and part of the 

 lower surface of the quills, pale reddish ; the rest of the lower 

 surface of the wings and the tail greyish-brown. 



