of Hongkong, Macao, and Canton. 55 



no determined colour. The bill and lore were of a yellowish 

 llesh-colour^ very pale, and tinged with blue. The legs of a 

 similar colour, with pale claws. The head and back were covered 

 with a long blackish down, and the rest of the body with more 

 or less whitish down, somewhat resembling sheep's wool. The 

 black down on the head was drawn out into long white tufts, 

 which stood out from the head like a crown of thick threads. 



In the larger chick, the eye was of a pale sea-green ; the lore 

 and bill were tinged with yellowish green. The long down of the 

 head had opened out into filamentous ends. The legs were bluish 

 sea-green above, and sienna- yellow beneath. The bare skin of the 

 round projecting belly was sea-green, as also the dorsal skin. The 

 colour of the down was light purplish grey, tipped with white 

 on the crown, and giving place to white on the flanks and belly. 

 The cry it uttered was a weak imitation of the old bird's croak. 



The immature plumage of the yearling appears to undergo little 

 change until the second winter, or until the bird is over two 

 years old. One of the nests taken was covered by a bird in this 

 first plumage, and the eggs were found to be narrower and of a 

 darker blue than those of the mature bird. An individual in 

 immature plumage was brought to me by a native, and the de- 

 velopment of the testicles was proof positive that the bird in this 

 plumage bred. It would be curious to inquire whether those in 

 the mature plumage pair with those in the immature. I have 

 certainly seen them together, but never ascertained whether two 

 such owned the same nest. 



Immature bird, 6 . — Iris reddish yellow or bui-nt sienna. Lore 

 pale yellowish green, bluish towards the bill. Upper mandible 

 and apical third of lower black ; gonys, basal two-thirds of lower, 

 and a line just above the edge of the upper mandible for two- 

 thirds towards the base light yellowish green. Legs yellowish 

 green, with pale brown claws. 



Mature bird, ? . — Lore bluish grey, with a slight tinge of 

 yellow ; bill black. Legs bright sienna-yellow, with a mixture of 

 ochre ; claws brownish black. Iris dark crimson. 



A number of Ascarides were found in and about the intes- 

 tines of this individual. They were of a yellowish flesh-colour, 

 pointed at both ends, the longest measuring 3^ inches. 



