BUFF-BREASTED SAKDPIPEE. 41 



inches; bill, slender and very slightly curved, and dull greenish 

 olive black in colour, dusky towards the point. Iris, hazel; 

 head on the sides, light yellowish red; on the crown, dark 

 brown approaching to black, each feather edged with very 

 light brown, giving it a mottled appearance; neck on the 

 sides, light brown tinged with buff, and spotted with dark 

 centres to the feathers; on the back and nape, light brown, 

 with minute dark spots on the centre of each feather; chin, 

 throat, and breast above, light brown with a tinge of buff, 

 and spotted with small spots of dusky on the centres of the 

 feathers; the breast below is white; back, very dark or 

 blackish brown, on the centres and edges of the feathers 

 lighter greyish yellow. 



The wings have the first quill feather the longest; the 

 axillary plume is white; greater wing coverts, dusky greyish 

 brown, with broad buff-coloured edges; lesser wing coverts, 

 dusky greyish brown with buff-coloured edges; a band is thus 

 formed across the wing. Primaries, greenish black towards 

 the end, the remainder greyish brown, the inner webs whitish 

 on the greater part of their length, and beautifully dotted 

 with black in undulating lines, tipped with white; underneath 

 they are silvery white on the shafts, and beautifully mottled 

 with dark specks; the outer half of the inner webs, which 

 are of a pale brown ground colour, have the outer webs 

 dusky, forming transverse rays of black; secondaries, dusky, 

 mottled at their base, the edges of the inner ones greyish 

 yellow; underneath elegantly variegated with bands of black, 

 dusky, and white, which, when the wings are raised, give 

 the bird an appearance peculiar to itself; tertiaries, dusky or 

 blackish brown edged with light brown; greater and lesser 

 under wing coverts, white, those near the edge of the wing 

 black in the centre. The tail, wedge-shaped, has the centre 

 feathers blackish brown, glossed with green towards the end, 

 with lighter edges, tips, and shafts, those on the sides 

 gradually lighter brown, enclosed in black, and edged and 

 tipped with white; upper tail coverts, brown with lighter or 

 buff-coloured edges to the feathers; under tail coverts, white, 

 but pervaded with a tinge of buff, the shafts of the feathers 

 black. The legs, bare of' feathers for half an inch above the 

 knee joint, are dull yellowish green; toes, dull yellowish 

 green; claws, dusky black. 



The female is paler in colour. 



