136 CTJELEW. 



approached, they hide themselves among the inequalities of 

 the ground, and lie very close, the old birds endeavouring 

 the while to attract the enemy away. 



These birds vary very considerably in size, as well as in 

 shades of their plumage. Male; weight, twenty to twenty- two 

 ounces, and upwards; length, one foot nine inches. Bill, dark 

 brown, except the inner part of the lower one, which is paler, 

 shading into yellowish red. It varies considerably in length 

 to six or seven inches. Iris, dark brown. Head, crown, neck 

 on the back, and nape, pale yellowish grey brown, each feather 

 streaked longitudinally with darker, the dark mark widest at 

 the base; chin, white; throat, pale yellowish cream grey brown, 

 streaked longitudinally with darker brown; breast above, 

 yellowish brown; below, white, with spot-like streaks of dark 

 brown. Back above, light dusky brownish black, slightly 

 glossed with purple, with pale brown or greyish or yellowish 

 white edges to the feathers; the lower part white, with the 

 shafts of the feathers forming marked streaks. 



The wings have the first quill feather the longest; the axillary 

 feathers are barred, and sometimes clouded with brown. 

 Greater wing coverts, black; lesser wing coverts, blackish 

 brown, with almost white edges, and running into bars on the 

 inner webs. The first five primaries, brownish black, glossed 

 with purple, and with white shafts. The outer webs much 

 darker than the inner ones, which are barred half across 

 with white. Secondaries and tertiaries, blackish brown in the 

 centre, and crossed transversely on the edges with dark and 

 light brown. Tail, 'barry' of dark brown and dull yellowish 

 white, the edges of the bars irregular, and often clouded and 

 tinted with reddish white*. Upper tail coverts, white, with a 

 narrowed streak of dark brown towards the end; under tail 

 coverts, white, with an occasional dusky streak. Legs and 

 toes, pale bluish grey, or greenish lead-colour; the latter have 

 a membranous edging on each side down to the claws. 



Female; weight in some specimens as much as thirty-seven 

 ounces. Length, from two feet one to two feet two inches. 



The young are at first covered with yellowish white, down, 

 varied with spots and patches of brown. 



