174 TURTLE DOTE. 



over one foot; bill, dark greyisb black, the tip of the upper 

 one yellowish brown: it is much compressed about the middle, 

 and the end is hard in substance; inside it is reddish. Iris, 

 bright orange yellowish red, the bare space around it light 

 red darker than in the female; head on the sides, yellowish, 

 fading off into the pink of the neck and breast; on the crown, 

 and neck on the back, light greyish blue; on the sides the 

 latter has a rounded patch of black, each of the feathers 

 tipped with white, surrounded with a tinge of blue; in front 

 it is a delicate light purple red colour, fading off backwards 

 into grey; chin, pale brown; throat and breast, delicate light 

 purple red, bluish grey on the sides; back, greyish brown above, 

 on the lower part brownish in colour. 



The wings, one foot nine or ten inches in expanse, long and 

 acute, have the second quill the longest, the first nearly as 

 long, the third a little shorter than the first, the others 

 rapidly diminishing in length; greater wing coverts, mostly 

 grey, the others greyish brown, with narrow whitish edges; 

 lesser wing coverts, edged with grey, with broad light reddish 

 margins, and a central pointed black spot, the outer one 

 bluish grey; primaries, greyish brown. The inner secondaries 

 edged with grey, with broad light reddish margins, and a central 

 pointed dark spot; the outer ones greyish brown, with narrow 

 whitish edges; greater and lesser under wing coverts, bluish 

 grey. The tail, long and much rounded, of twelve feathers, 

 greyish brown, the two centre ones brown; all the others tipped 

 with white, widest on the side feathers, the outer web of the 

 side one white; underneath it is blackish brown, tipped with 

 white; under tail coverts, white. Legs and toes, carmine red 

 the latter underneath dull yellowish; claws, blackish brown. 



The female is less in size, and lighter-coloured. 



The young, at first covered with yellow down, have, their 

 first year, the bill dark brown; iris, dusky, till they are about 

 half a year old, then it becomes by degrees yellow and orange: 

 the red round the eye appears the second year; they assume 

 also the black on the side of the neck the second year. Breast 

 on the sides, bluish grey; back, darker brown than the neck 

 in front; greater and lesser wing coverts, tipped with buff 

 white; primaries, slightly tinged on their outer edges with 

 rufous. Tail, brown, the lateral feathers with their outer webs, 

 and the next two with their ends white; underneath it is 

 blackish brown; under tail coverts, whitish. Legs, toes, and 

 claws, brown. 



