38 Mr. A. Hume on Indian Ornithology. 



some, on the front of the tarsus takes the form of a black 

 mottling : even in the old bird a trace of this is often visible on 

 the front of the tarsus. The claws are rather massive, with the 

 inner edge of the middle toe claw somewhat dilated. They are 

 blackish or dark horny-brown. The scutellation of the bare 

 portion of the tibia, of the tibia-tarsal joint, of the back of the 

 tarsus, and the sides of the feet and toes is reticulate, the scales 

 on the front of the tibia and back of the tarsus being very large 

 and concave, the lines of junction forming a raised network. The 

 front of the tarsus has broad transverse plates, with the upper 

 margins convex. The ridges of the toes have well-marked 

 transverse scuta. The middle and outer toes ai'e connected by a 

 thick reticulate scaled membrane, as far as the first joint (from 

 base). The irides are a bright, very pale yellow; the colour 

 does not vary with age ; but in some birds the iris is almost 

 silvery, and in others there is a pinkish tinge. 



The bill is umber-brown, very smooth and polished, solid- 

 looking towards the end, and generally with the edges of both 

 mandibles for an inch or an inch-and-a-half from the tip regu- 

 larly notched, or bluntly toothed at intervals of about •125 in., 

 so as to present the appearance, especially on the upper man- 

 dible, of regular though tiny scollops. A row of blunt teeth- 

 like protuberances, pointing backwards, runs down the centre of 

 the palate. 



The tongue is hastate, but narrow, sharp-pointed, and mem- 

 branaceous towards the tip, which is slightly fringed, and thick, 

 fleshy, and cylindrical beneath, towards the base. 



The ear-orifices are very large and oval, reminding one of 

 those of the Owls and other birds of prey. 



The membrane of the nasal groove is red, much the same colour 

 as the face, and like the latter, dingier in the less-mature birds. 

 In the adult the forehead, lores, and cheeks are naked, of a dull 

 reddish hue, pretty thickly set with short yellowish hairs. In 

 some old birds, the hindermost of these hairs, just where they 

 meet the white feathers, are longer and thicker than elsewhere, 

 and of a bi'ownish hue, thus producing the appearance of a 

 narrow brown line, dividing the snowy feathers from the bare 

 red space. 



