PITIIOEA. 211 



them was luminous in itself, like touch- 

 wood, glow-worms, or rotten fish. These 

 birds were as large as young geese. I durst 

 not venture to attack them with my hands; 

 but approaching them with a stake, I then 

 first perceived they were almost full groMn, 

 though not yet able to fly. The extent of 

 their wings when spread was four feet ; 

 their colour blackish, with red-brown spots ; 

 their plumage very soft down, of a blackish 

 hue tipped with white, mixed with sprout- 

 ing quills. The smaller feathers were un- 

 derneath of a reddish brown, marked with 

 very narrow curved lines. The hue of the 

 larger feathers, especially of the breast, 

 where they were most apparent, was a 

 brick colour, each being marked with a 

 black indented longitudinal stripe. The 

 feathers over the eyelids were small and 

 black ; upper part of the cheeks dark co- 

 loured, lower whitish. The wings and tail 

 were not yet come to their full growth, but 

 their quill feathers were blackish, with 

 roundish red-brown spots. Feet like tliose 

 p 2 



