RUFF. GRALLATORES. MACHETES. 135 



hair-brown, having the coverts and scapulars barred 

 and margined with reddish- white. Tail with the outer 

 feathers of a uniform pale hair- brown, and the middle 

 ones with darker bars. 



Another specimen in my possession has the ruff and ear- 

 tufts black, glossed with purple and green, and varied 

 with yellowish-brown. The sides of the breast and 

 flanks are also black, glossed with purple. The back 

 darker, and more varied in colour than in Fig. 1. A 

 third has the ruff and breast entirely black, glossed with 

 steel-blue ; with the back still darker than in the last 

 described specimen. But as the variety of colour is end- 

 less in different individuals, it is unnecessary to particu- 

 larize more. 



Fig. 2. is the female bird. 



In size much less than the male, and always destitute of Female. 

 the ruff. In summer, the upper parts of the body, the 

 neck, and breast, are varied, with black glossed with 

 steel-blue, and cinereous or brownish-grey. In autumn, 

 or the winter plumage, the cinereous brown prevails 

 without any mixture of black feathers. Belly and ab- 

 domen white. Legs pale yellow, sometimes tinged with 

 flesh-red. The young of the year have the neck and 

 breast deeply tinged with yellowish-brown. 



Fig. 3. represents the young male killed in autumn. Young 



In this state the cheeks and region of the eyes are of a e ' 

 pale reddish-white, tinged with grey. Throat white, 

 tinged with reddish-brown. Sides of the neck and breast 

 yellowish-orange, tinged with grey. Crown of the head 

 black, the feathers being margined with reddish-brown. 

 Belly and under tail-coverts greyish-white, tinged with 

 buff. Back and scapulars brownish-black, glossed with 

 purple, and the feathers deeply margined with pale 

 orange-brown. Side coverts of the tail white. Two 



