146 ROYAL GREAT-CREST. 



It would be difficult to convey, by words alone, 

 a just idea of the peculiar form and colouring of 

 the crest of this bird, which, in proportion to the 

 size of the bird, is the largest example of this orna- 

 ment in the whole of the perchers. The shape of 

 the feathers is linear in their length, and almost 

 spatulate, or spoon-shaped, at their extremity : they 

 are disposed transversely across the head in various 

 lengths, so that the last are by far the longest ; their 

 extremities are ! somewhat incurved, but those ad- 

 joining the ears are narrower, and are pendant on 

 the sides of the head, something like ear-drops. 

 When erected, the feathers form a semicircle, or 

 crescent, across the back of the crown, and have a 

 most splendid appearance. The ground colour of 

 all these feathers is of the richest chesnut-red, re- 

 sembling brick-dust ; but each has a terminal spot 

 of velvet-black, encircled by a margin of steel-blue, 

 the effect of all which is heightened by a rich orange 

 shade, intervening between the black spot and the 

 deep red which succeeds. The rest of the plumage 

 is comparatively plain; the upper parts are dark 

 hair-brown, approaching to chestnut ; the under 

 parts light fulvous, or ferrugineous, rather brighter 

 and deeper on the tail, which is slightly rounded. 

 The other parts of its structure enters into the gene- 

 ric character. 



Total length, 6J inches ; bill, gape, 1 ; front, 

 T 7 ; wings, 3| ; tail beyond, 1; ditto, base, 3; 

 tarsus, J. 



