THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 23 



tlian 4 inches in length on the fourth day. The first moult 

 begins about the fourteenth day, both quills and contour "down" 

 (neossoptiles) being shed ; the latter are being displaced by 

 contour feathers. 



Specimen A. — Young ; four days old. Skin, 3/3/00. 



Under surface tawny, a tawny brown pectoral band joining 

 the same (though deeper) colour on the neck ; crown tawny 

 brown, from which down to the tail the colour deepens, where 

 it becomes a deep brown; flanks like breast; spot before and 

 behind eye almost naked ; surrounding the ear is a circle of 

 black down-feathers ; quills deep slaty-brown ; coverts same, 

 tipped with brown ; down coverts tawny brown ; no appearance 

 of tail quills ; bill horn-black, the lower edges of prongs pale 

 coloured ; legs and feet dull yellowish-grey. Total length, 

 8 inches; wing, 4.4 inches; tarsus, 1.25 inches; culmen, 

 0.75 inch ; middle toe (without claw), i inch. 



Specimen B. — Skin, male, 14 days old, 13/2/00. 



Crown of head brown, marked with black, which are the quills 

 of the coming black feathers ; terminal parts of some of the old 

 feathers still adhering ; soft parts round the eyes pinkish-red, 

 blending into cinnamon-brown over a large area; lores yellowish- 

 pink ; ear coverts short, slender, and dark ; featherless tracts 

 behind the eyes ; short yellowish-brown plumage beneath the 

 eyes ; chin and throat quite feathered with original downs ; nape 

 a shade darker than crown ; neck still darker, with black feathers 

 coming on sides of lower neck and chest ; the new feathers 

 rapidly displace the original ones, which are pushed out and still 

 adhere to the exposed ends of the new plumage for some time ; 

 breast cinnamon-brown ; original downs as coverts to black tail 

 quills ; flank (towards shoulder) feathers mostly new and still 

 coming, certain of the original long cinnamon-brown plumage 

 remaining ; humeral feathers show a long bar of black ; wing 

 primaries short, with coverts agreeing in colour ; secondaries 

 shorter ; secondary coverts strong, fringed (downy), and faintly 

 rayed with black, at ends cinnamon-brown ; beneath the old 

 secondary coverts may be seen new blackish quills appearing ; 

 under wing coverts are brown downs ; bill deep brown to black, 

 the lower edges of bottom mandible pale coral red ; nostrils oval, 

 yellowish within, dark outside, quite exposed ; the feathers 

 directed towards nostril short and cinnamon-brown ; legs and 

 feet dull yellowish-grey, nails being dull yellowish-brown, lighter 

 at tips (0.45 inch long) ; iris dull yellowish-brown. Total length, 

 11.75 inches; length of wing, 6.5 inches; culmen, 0.75 inch; 

 tarsus, 1.7 inches; middle toe (without claw), 1.2 inches; tail, 

 2.7 inches. 



In this specimen the outer secondary (next to primary) of 

 each wing was shed in the cage, and was being replaced in each 



