176 ARDEIDJI. 



the two central feathers dark slate-grey ; chiu pale buff ; 

 neck reddish-buff, the elongated feathers at the bottom of 

 the neck in front a mixture of pale buff, chestnut, grey, and 

 black ; under wing-coverts chestnut, the colour appearing 

 outside the point of the shoulder ; the breast rich maroon - 

 red ; the belly a mixture of maroon and dark grey and black ; 

 flanks ash-grey; thighs reddish-buff; tibia and inner edge of 

 tarsus, with the soles, citron-yellow, the rest of tarsus and 

 feet pale brown ; toes long and slender ; claws black. 



The whole length, from the beak to the end of the tail, is 

 about three feet. From the carpal joint to the end of the 

 wing, fourteen to fourteen and a half inches. Weight from 

 2 lbs. to 2 lbs. 14 ozs. The adults of both sexes ai'e alike in 

 plumage, but the male is the larger. 



The young birds, till their second moult, are usually with- 

 out the occipital crest, as well as the elongated feathers at 

 the base of the neck and on the scapulars. The chin is 

 white ; the forehead blackish-grey ; the crown and occiput 

 grey, tinged with reddish-brown ; the neck is pale reddish- 

 brown, without the black lists ; the front of the neck is 

 yellowish-white, with longitudinal black spots ; the back, 

 scapulars, wings, and tail, deep grey ; the feathers margined 

 with reddish-brown ; the belly and thighs reddish-white. 

 The upper mandible is blackish-brown ; the under one, 

 lores, and eyes, pale yellow. 



The following is the description of a nestling taken by the 

 Editor near Valencia, in Spain, on the 29th May : — Skin 

 and feet yellowish-green, yellow on abdomen ; upper mandi- 

 ble greenish horn-colour, lower mandible yellow ; iris pale 

 straw-yellow ; feathers reddish-brown ; hairy crest ; shafts of 

 feathers lead-blue ; all edged with white down, whitest on 

 abdomen ; claws horn-white. The cry for food was ' kick, 

 kick, kick,' harsher when the bird was irritated. 



