84 Dr. J. Murie on Steatomis 



'ipei 



rallel to each other, whereas the short hind toe (0'4 inch 

 without the nail) is set at right angles inwards ; but it freely 

 bends backwards. 



From the dorsal surface of each anterior toe there are about 

 a dozen rudimentary, soft and small, transverse, brownish pel- 

 licles or scale-like bodies. These are hardly worthy of the 

 name of scutellse, so slight is their differentiation from the ad- 

 joining skin. 



It is very evident from the construction of the parts that 

 this bird does not support itself on its toes, as do most birds, 

 but, on the contrary, rests chiefly on the tarsi. The plantar 

 surface of the foot is pale-coloured, and studded with minute, 

 soft, but elevated hexagonal scales. The claws are slightly 

 curved, scooped out inferiorly, without being pectinated. 



Head. — Viewed in profile this has some resemblance to the 

 head of a Sparrowhawk, long and prominent rictal bristles, 

 however, detracting from the likeness. Superiorly, or from 

 above, it appears wedge-shaped ; whilst from the front or fa- 

 cially the aspect inclines to what is presented by the Cariama. 

 The eye is only of moderate size, nay, even relatively small. 

 Around the orbit is a wide and partially bare space, which 

 is ordinarily somewhat hidden by the feathering of the eye- 

 lid. The rictal bristles or, rather, long dark-brown hairs are 

 twelve in number on each side. 



The beak is sharply curved and with a fair-sized tooth be- 

 neath and in front of the nostril. The nostril has an ellip- 

 tical figure, widest in front, and obliquely set upwards and 

 forwards : it is situate # 4 inch from the beak's root. The 

 culmen presents a gothic-like arch, and proximally is about 

 an inch in transverse diameter. 



The mandible, of only moderate strength and shallow, 

 slightly overlaps the beak as far as the nostril, and thence is 

 hidden by it. At the mandibular angle is a short tuft of mous- 

 tache-like hairs, shorter than the rictal ones. There is a wide 

 bare space on either side of the inframandibular median line ; 

 and the feathering of the throat comes up with sharp acumi- 

 nation. 



