CRIMSON-EARED BENGALY. 193 



the tail is long, slender, and graduated ; the wings 

 only reaching to the ends of the tinder tail-covers. 

 There is a peculiarity, however, in the wing-feathers ; 

 the first quill is minute and spurious, but the second 

 is fully two-tenths of an inch shorter than the third, 

 and is considerably narrowed at its end, like many 

 of the representatives of the rasorial type. The 

 feet are stronger than in the last ; the claws broader 

 and more curved, and the hinder one shorter, so 

 that it is not equal to its toe. 



The colouring is very delicate ; a light greyish- 

 brown spreads over all the upper parts, excepting 

 the tail and its covers; these parts, together with 

 all the under plumage (the middle of the body 

 being alone white), are of a sky or verditer-blue ; 

 the ears of the male have a deep pui-plish red spot, 

 which is wanting in the female ; the bill in the live 

 bird, as Edwards says, is of a " dirty flesh colour ;" 

 but in our dried specimens, it is discoloured with 

 blackish; legs, whitish. All the tail-feathers are 

 graduated, with about a tenth of an inch between 

 each. Edwards' figure of the female is very good. 

 The Portuguese import it, with many others, from 

 their settlements on the African coast, and call it 

 Azulma, or the Blue-bird. 



