234 . YIOLET-WINGED COURIER. 



stands, to the back, eight inches and a half high. 

 The upper plumage is drab-brown, the under, from 

 the breast, is pure white ; the front of the head, as 

 far as the eyes, is cream-colour ; the ears are drab, 

 striped with blackish, and there is a pale brown 

 maxillary stripe on each side the lower mandible. 

 The chin and half way down the throat is white, 

 which colour extends a good way round the sides 

 of the neck and ascends in a stripe behind the ear- 

 feathers ; the lower part of the neck and breast is 

 delicate drab-brown, pale at first, and gradually 

 deepening till the colour is terminated by a black 

 band, which marks the commencement of the white 

 on the body and all the remaining under plumage. 

 The sides of the body, under the wings, are light 

 buff-yellow. The wings are as long as the tail, the 

 quills black, as before-mentioned, but the base of 

 nearly all are more or less white ; upper tail-covers 

 pure white. Tail even, rather shorter than the 

 wings, the two middle feathers brown and un- 

 spotted, the lateral ones black, with broad white 

 tips. Bill strong, compressed at the tip; gonys 

 angulated, colour black ; the base yellow, the legs 

 red. The middle claw although dilated is not 

 serrated, and the inner toe is shortest. 



Total length about 10 inches; bill, from the 

 gape, 1^; wings, 7f ; tarsus, 3^ 6 ; naked part of 

 the thighs, 1 T 4 Q ; middle toe and claw, 1. 



