4o FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. 



a little behind the centre of the body ; tibia bare for an inch 

 and a half, and reticulated. Tarsus short, moderately com 

 pressed, reticulated all round with angular scales, of which the 

 anterior are larger; hind toe very small, scutellate above, granu- 

 late beneath. Anterior toes longer than the tarsus, the outer a 

 little shorter than the third, all reticulate above as far as to the 

 second joint, scutellate in the rest of their extent, connected by 

 webs of which the margin is entire, the outer with a thick mar- 

 gin, the inner with a broader two-lobed margin. Claws of 

 moderate size, arched, strong, rather acute, that of the middle 

 toe with the inner edge dilated. 



" Plumage full, compact above, blended beneath ; feathers of 

 the head and neck softer, small, ovate, rounded. Wings ample, 

 convex ; the first quill eight-twelfths of an inch shorter than the 

 second, which is longest, but scarcely exceeds the third ; the first, 

 second and third cut out on the inner web. Secondaries long, 

 broad and rounded. Tail very short, much rounded, of twenty 

 broad rounded feathers, of which the lateral are an inch and 

 nine-twelfths shorter than the middle. The bill and the bare 

 space on the fore part of the head black, with an orange oblong 

 patch from the anterior angle of the eye ; sides of lower mandi- 

 ble and inside of mouth yellowish flesh color. Iris brown; feet 

 and claws black The plumage is entirely pure white. 



" Length to end of tail, 53 inches ; to end of wings, 50y, to 

 end of claws, 58; extent of wings, 84; bill along the ridge, 4; 

 tarsus, 4i-2 ; from the tip to the eye, 4t2 ; wing from flexure, 22^; 

 tail, 7 1 ; hind toe, 1 1 — its claw, t2 ; second toe, S^ — its claw, 

 -]" ; third toe, {^ — its claw, H; fourth toe, 4 jo — its claw, jV; 

 weight, 19 1 lbs. Another individual weighed only 14 lbs. 



" The female is somewhat smaller, but otherwise similar. 



" The young in its first plumage is of a uniform light bluish- 

 gray, paler beneath, the fore and upper parts of the head tinged 

 with red. The bill reddish flesh-culor, dusky at the point ; the 

 spaces between the eye and the bill, and between its basal 

 angles, covered with minute fcatliers, which entirely disaj^pear 

 in the adult. The feet are du 1 yellowish flesh-color. 



