30 BRIGHT FEATHERS. 
THE PLUMAGE,” EVE: 
The coloration of the head and upper parts of the male of the 
species, is glossy black ; the breast and under wing coverts, rose color, 
> 
which in some instances descends down the centre of the breast as far as 
the vent. The posterior portion of the back, or rump, the breast and 
belly, (where not tinted with rose,) white. Two bands on the wings, 
base of the quills, tips of the secondaries, and the terminal half of the 
three inner webs of the outer tail feathers, also white. In some in- 
stances the rump is spotted with black. | The plumage is soft and elas- 
tic and the colorations in the adult bird, well, but not too hardly de- 
fined, excepting perhaps the line bounding the black of the throat, and 
the rose color upon the breast. | The bill is almost white, short, sharp 
and robust, the outer lines*of both mandibles being a little convex, and 
the inner lines deflected at the base, thence straight to the end. 
Legs of medium length and stout, with a few longish anterior scutella 
upon the tarsus; posteriorly the latter is sharp. Toes, well divided and 
scutellate above, the lateral ones being nearly equal in length. Claws 
rather slender, acute and arched. Tail slightly forked, somewhat long, 
and consisting of twelve feathers. Iris, hazel ; feet and legs, bluish ; 
mien, bold and free; body, well developed and rounded. The male 
does not attain generally to full maturity of plumage, until about the 
third year. Length, 734 inches; alar extent, 13; bill along the back 
74 
12) 
along the edge 2; tarsus =, (Audubon). Length 7.5,—8.5, alar ex- 
tent, 12.5—13.0 .DeKay.) Specimen before me, probably a bird of 
the second year, 7% inches long, and 125% inches alar extent. 
The female differs very materially from the male in color markings, 
as will be seen on referring to the plate. | Beneath, it is of a slight red- 
