12. UYDRANASSA. 129 



axillaries, the uuder tail-coverts white, with slaty-grey tips : " bill 

 black for the terminal third or more, the rest sky-blue, shading into 

 lilac at the base, the latter colour extending to the eye ; feet slate- 

 colour ; iris red" (C. B. Cory). Total length about 24 inches, 

 culmen 3-8, wing 10-2, tail '6, tarsus 3-9, middle toe and claw 3-1. 



Adult female. Similar to the male in colour. Total length about 

 24 inches, culmen 3"8, wing 9'8, tail 3, tarsus 3*4, middle toe and 

 claw 2-9. 



Young. Differs from the adult in being darker slate-colour above 

 all the feathers washed with maroon or chestnut ; lower back, rump, 

 upper tail-coverts, and base of tail white ; the crown of the head 

 (which has the remains of sandy-buff down) slaty brown, as also the 

 sides of face, ear-coverts, and sides of neck ; cheeks and throat white, 

 washed with maroon on the lower part and varied with small dusky 

 streaks, the lateral patch on the sides of the chest blackish, with 

 broad white edgings to the feathers, the longer feathers externally 

 marked with blackish, as also some of the breast-plumes. 



The full-grown young birds preserve the characters mentioned 

 above, but the rufous colour gradually disappears and the central 

 line of the lower throat and fore-neck becomes strongly marked, the 

 feathers being maroon with white bases. 



The winter plumage of the adults only differs from the summer 

 plumage in the want of the ornamental plumes ; the scapulars grey 

 and only slightly elongated ; the nuchal crest is also absent, and 

 the beautiful purple on the neck is not developed to any extent: 

 " bill brownish black on the greater part of the upper mandible, 

 and on the sides of the lower mandible towards the point, the rest 

 yellow, as is the bare space before and around the eye ; feet light 

 yellowish green, the anterior scutelloe dusky, as are the claws ; iris 

 bright red " {J. J. Audubon). 



Hah. From New Jersey and Indiana, south through temperate 

 Eastern North America to Central America and the West Indies ; 

 Cape S. Lucas {Ridgivan). 



n. Juv. St. North America. Purchased. 



b. (S ad. sk. Hilton Wood, South Carolina Salvin-Godman Coll. 



{Dr. W. Prentiss: Hensh. 

 Coll.). 



c. 5 ad. sk. Oklawaha River, Florida, Salvin-Godman Coll. 



April 1^0 (C. H. Merriam : 

 Hensh. Coll.). 



d. J ad. sk. Cedar Keys, Nov. 8 {H. W. Salvin-Godman Coll. 



He7isltaw). 



e. c? ad. sk. Arsenica Kev, Florida, April 26 Salvin-Godman Coll. 



( W. Brewster: Hensh. Coll.). 



f. Juv. sk. Tampa, Florida, June 28 Salvin-Godman Coll. 



(Hensh a IV Coll.). 

 (j-k. S <id. ; /. 9 Tarpon Springs, Florida, Jan., Salvin-Godman Coll. 

 ad. sk. Mav, Julv, Aug. ( W. E. D. 



Scott). 

 m-e. (5juv.sk. Tarpon Springs, June, August Salvin-Godman Coll. 



( W. E. D. Scott). 



VOL. XXVI. K 



