50 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. 



curved, the edges overlapping, the tip declinate* and rounded. 

 Nostrils basal, roundish, concealed by the feathers. Head 

 small, neck rather long, body bulky. Feet of ordinary length, 

 tarsus short-feathered, toes covered above with numerous short 

 scutella,! marginate,J and pectinate, § hind toe extremely short, 

 two lateral equal, middle toe much longer ; claws of ordinary 

 l^ngth, strong, arched, rather obtuse, concave beneath. 



" Plumage compact, the feathers generally broad and rounded, 

 those of the head and neck narrow, and proportionally shorter, 

 excepting of the crown, which are elongated. Two tufts of 

 lanceolate elongated feathers on the side of the neck, under 

 which is an oblong bare space on either side capable of being in- 

 flated. Lower tibial|| and tarsallT feathers short, soft and blended. 

 Wings short and curved, the primaries strong and narrow ; 

 fourth longest, third and fifth nearly equal, second longer than 

 sixth, first much shorter. Tail very short, much rounded, slop- 

 ing on both sides, of eighteen broad, rounded feathers. 



" Bill dusky, paler beneath ; iris brown, toes dull yellow, 

 claws grayish brown ; the general color of the upper parts is 

 blackish brown, transversely marked with broad, undulating 

 bands of light yellowish red ; the wing coverts and secondaries 

 of a lighter brown, tinged with gray, and barred with paler red, 

 the latter only on the outer webs ; primary quills grayish brown, 

 with black shafts, and spots of pale reddish on the outer webs, 

 excepting toward the end. Tail dark grayish brown, narrowly 

 tipped with dull white, the two middle feathers mottled with 

 brownish red. Space from the bill to the eye, a band from the 

 lower mandible over the cheek and throat, pale yellowish red or 

 cream color ; a band of blackish brown under the eye, including 

 the ear coverts, and another about an inch and a half long on 



* Declinate — Bent downward. 



t Scutella — Scales overlapping, like tiles or shingles. 



t Marginate — Having margins or borders. 



II Pectinate — Toothed, like a comb. 



§ Tibial — Belonging to the tihia, or thigh. 



IT Tarsal — Belonging to the tarsus, or shank. 



