Miscellaneous. 31.1 



Dimensions. — ^Total length of skin, from tip of bill to end of tail, 

 about 1 2 inches ; wing 8 inches ; tail to end of external feathers 7\ 

 inches ; length of middle tail-feathers about 3^ inches. 



Colours. — Entire upper surface, tail included, brownish black, 

 with numerous rounded spots and lines of reddish fulvous, assuming 

 upon the tail the form of irregular or curved bands, which are more 

 or less mottled and mixed with the brownish black of the other pre- 

 dominating portion. Throat with a semi-collar of yellowish white. 

 Entire under-parts brownish black, banded and spotted with fulvous. 



Hub. South America. 



Obs. — This very remarkable species may readily be distinguished 

 by its very long forked tail, the feathers of which are irregularly gra- 

 duated. In the latter respect it differs from the Hyd. psalurus 

 (Temm.), to which however it bears but little resemblance. 



There are in the collection of the Academy three specimens of this 

 species, two males in the Rivoli collection, and a female which was 

 fortunately procured in Paris by Mr. Edward Wilson. 



2. Hydropsalis segmentatus, nobis. 



^ middle age ? Form. — Wings moderate, second primary slightly 

 longest, second, third and fourth deeply sinuated on their outer webs ; 

 first with its outer edge serrated, inner edges (of primaries) presenting 

 a fringed appearance. Shafts of primary quills strong and curved. 



Tail very long, the two external feathers of which surpass the next 

 by about 10 to 12 inches ; second, third and fourth graduated ; fourth 

 and fifth about equal — that is to say, the four middle feathers of the 

 tail nearly equal. 



Bill rather long and slender. Tarsi bare, slender. Webs of outer 

 tail-feathers very narrow. 



Dimensions. — Total length of skin, from tip of bill to end of tail, 

 about 20 inches ; wing 6f ; tail to end of external feathers about 

 15^ inches ; length of four middle tail-feathers about 4 inches. 



Colours. — Upper surface of head, body, scapulars and wing-coverts 

 brownish black, spotted and obscurely lined with ferruginous rufous, 

 which colour almost predominates upon the scapulars. 



Neck, behind, with an obscure ferruginous semi-collar; before, 

 with a semi-collar of rufous white. Body beneath brownish black, 

 with rounded ferruginous spots upon the breast, and upon the belly 

 with obscure bands and spots of pale ferruginous and nearly white. 



Wing-feathers brownish black ; first primary with a narrow pale 

 reddish border upon its outer web for about half its length, second 

 and third with a pale ferruginous spot at the point of sinuation. 

 Secondaries with irregular bars of reddish and with narrow tips of 

 the same colour. 



The two external feathers of the tail with their shafts white upon 

 the upper surface, outer webs white tinged with rufous, and hand- 

 somely marked (upon the outer webs) with semicircular segments of 

 black, having for their bases the shaft of the feather. This marking 

 is more conspicuous towards the base, and upon the mider surface 

 the black colour of these semicircular segments extends to the shaft 

 of the feather. All the other tail-feathers brownish black, with bars 



