GRALLATORES. 283 



sition, exhibiting their dark-coloured backs and snow-white 

 tails. During the large semicircular sweeps they take over 

 the plains, and when performing a long flight, they rise tole^ 

 rably high in the air ; the whole flock then arrange themselves 

 m the form of a figure or letter similar to that so frequently 

 observed in flights of geese and ducks. 



The note is a loud, hoarse, croaking sound, which may be 

 heard at a considerable distance. When feeding in flocks 

 they are closely packed, and from the movement of their bills 

 and tails, the whole mass seems in constant motion. In disposi- 

 tion this bird is rather shy than otherwise ; still, with a very 

 little care, successful shots may be made with an ordinary 

 fowling-piece. 



The sexes when fully adult exhibit the same beautiful me- 

 tallic colouring of the plumage. The female is, however, smaller, 

 and has the straw-like appendages on the neck less prolonged 

 and less stout than the male. Mature birds only have the 

 whole of the head and back of the neck destitute of feathers. 



Head and forepart of the neck naked, and of a dull inky 

 black ; back and sides of the neck clothed with white down ; 

 on the front of the neck and breast the shafts of the feathers 

 are produced into long lanceolate straw-like and straw-coloured 

 processes, with merely a rudiment of the lateral webs at the 

 base ; sides and back of the neck, breast and all the upper 

 surface rich shining bronzy green and purple, crossed parti- 

 cularly on the wing-coverts, scapularies, and outer webs of the 

 secondaries with numerous bars of dull black ; primaries and 

 inner webs of the secondaries dull greenish black ; abdomen, 

 flanks, under tail-coverts and tail white; bill dull black,' 

 crossed at the base by irregular transverse bars of yellowish 

 brown ; irides dark brown ; thighs crimson ; legs blackish 

 brown, the two colours blending on the knee. 



Immature birds have the head and neck clothed with white 

 down, the straw-like appendages less in number, and less of 

 the rich colouring on the breast. 



