i8 7



to produce this effect. A larger part, the hidden part, of

most of the feathers is black or dusky black, the apical

third or thereabout of the body feathers being purplish blue,

darkening to blue-black in places, with a glistening tip of silvery

gray or very light blue. On each wing (tips of median coverts)

there is a crescent of white spots. A black lore spot extends

just above and behind the eye, these black feathers wanting the

glistening tips ; and the under side of the tail is black. Across

the chest, along the sides, but not extending down the centre of

the lower breast, and round over the lower back, forming almost a

circle round the body, the feathers, or many of them, have

concealed white centres ; that is, a line or pointed slit of white,

quite narrow in some but broader in others, especially on the

sides and lower back, runs up or near the shaft almost from the

"base, but not so far as to become generally visible (c). On each

flank there is a little tuft of soft downy feathers, white on the

one web, and purplish blue or blue black on the other, the white

predominating. There are also some remarkable silky feathers

with the colours arranged nearly as last stated, but usually with

an edging of purple to the white web : I think these must

come from the sides, but am not sure of the exact position ; I

collected them during the moult. These feathers with white

centres form an irregular series, and are quite a feature in the

plumage of the bird. Commencing with those which have

simply a white shaft, we have others in which the white spreads

on each side of the shaft to the webbing, first in a lesser then in

a greater degree ; then there are a few with the white on only

one side of the shaft. These latter lead on to an extravagant

development of the white “ centre,” the one web being purplish

blue, the other white with only a little edging of the blue ; and

from these we have the feathers with the outer web entirely

•white.


The bill is wholly black, rather long and slim, straight,

■compressed, not toothed, but with the upper mandible strongly

hooked, and at the nostrils higher than it is broad. No rictal

bristles to speak of. Nostrils rather forward, uncovered, slightly

•oval, open, and at the end of a groove. Inside of mouth bright

yellow, inclining to orange ; eyes hazel brown. Legs long, and,

with the toes and claws, wholly black. Centre toe with its claw

slightly longer than hind toe and claw, the two side toes being


(c). It would be more correct to say of many of these feathers that the black and

the concealed white run up to the top of the shaft, and that, from the tip of the shaft,

there springs a fan-shaped projection of purplish blue with a mesial tip of silvery gray or

.light blue.—K. P.



