COMMON THICK-KNEE. 313 



that part ; the greater wing-coverts are cream-yel- 

 low, edged with purplish- hlack, the quills and secon- 

 daries are also purplish black, the two first quills 

 with a large diagonal yellowish- white patch, about 

 an inch and a half from the tip, and which, on the 

 first quill, crosses both the webs, on the second the 

 inner only ; the lower parts white, or yellowish- 

 white ; the chin and fore part of the neck unshaded ; 

 the neck, breast, belly, and flanks, narrowly dashed 

 along the shaft of each feather with umber-brown ; 

 the feathers of the under tail-coverts ochreous, the 

 shafts dark ; in the tail, the centre feathers are pale 

 yellowish- brown, the others brownish- black at the 

 tips for a considerable space, succeeded by a broad 

 yellowish- white bar running diagonally, afterwards s 

 alternately bordered with the brown and yellowish- 

 white to the base, upon the under surface these bars 

 appear very clear and decided ; the bill is black at 

 the tip ; the base, and on the edges of the rictus, 

 primrose-yellow; behind the eyes there is also a 

 bare space nearly of the same colour ; legs and feet 

 greenish-yellow. 



The female does not vary materially, and no 

 seasonal change has been pointed out by ornitholo- 

 gists. 



