354 Description of Ilemipodius nivosus. 



in his Ornithologia printed in 1763. This name, therefore, 

 should, I think, have been adopted by modern writers ; but as 

 Professor Temminck has given such a full account of the 

 species, and proposed another so very expressive as HemipodiuSy 

 I think much confusion will be saved by continuing it; particu- 

 larly as this has already been done by Cuvier; although 

 Dr. Leach, in transcribing Temminck's descriptions, has 

 adopted the unmeaning one of Turnix as a Latin designation. 



HEMIPODIUS NIVOSUS.— White-spotted Turnix. 



Spec. Char. — H. supra ferrugineo varius ; mento albescente; 

 jugulo pectoreque pallitle ferrugineis, maculis albis nitidis or- 

 natis; corpore albo; uropygio caudaeque tectricibus superiori- 

 bus rufis, immaculatis. 



Above varied with ferruginous ; chin whitish ; throat and 

 breast pale ferruginous with white shining spots; body white; 

 rump and ujiper tail-covers rufous, unspotted. 



Description. — Size of a lark. Total length about five 

 inches. Bill dusky, half an inch from the angle of the mouth 

 to the tip ; compressed the whole length, but not so much ele- 

 vated at the base as about the middle, where it slightly rises, 

 and the culmine (or dorsal ritlge) forms a gentle curve to the 

 tip, which is not, however, either bent down or notched : the 

 under mandible is straight. Nostrils large, placed in a groove, 

 which reaches to more than half the length of the bill, and 

 there terminates in a point ; it Is defendecl above by a pro- 

 tuberant, convex, horny covering, which nearly reaches to 

 the end of the groove ; the nasal aperture is by a lengthened 

 marginal slit at the base of the protubei'ance, and close to the 

 margin of the bill. Upper plumage reddisli brown, striped with 

 whitish fawn colour, and freckled transversely with blackish 

 on the back and scapulary feathers ; this whitish colour bor- 

 ders the sides of each feather, and has an internal narrow 

 edging of blackish brown, while the shafts are crossed by short 

 blackish lines : the sides of the head are not spotted, but an 

 obscure whitish band seems to pass both above and below the 

 ears ; the back, rump and upper tail-covers are rufous, and 

 likewise unspotted ; the lower half of all the wing-covers are 

 white, the upper half ferruginous with white spots and mar- 

 gins. The JVitigs are rounded, the three outei" quills progres- 

 sively longer ; the fourth very short, and the fifth surpassing 

 in length all the others * : the lesser quills (nearest the shoul- 

 der) are: formed like the scapulars and are remarkably long, 

 far exceeding in length all the greater quills : the three exter- 



* A singular formation, whicli I hiive not the opportunity at present of 

 conii)aring with otiiei" birds of this genus. 



nal 



