LAND-RAIL. 71 



inches, not quite so much; bill, pale brown at the tip, and 

 along the top of the upper mandible, the base pale reddish 

 yellow, and the lower mandible beneath; iris, yellowish brown; 

 over the eye is a greyish ash-coloured streak, blending with 

 the colours on either side, and so going down the neck. The 

 head on the sides, greyish ash-colour; on the crown, neck on 

 the back, and nape, the feathers have dusky shaft streaks, 

 the rest of the centres brown, and the edges yellow tinged 

 with brown, or a tint of olive green; neck on the sides, 

 tinged with greyish ash-colour; chin, yellowish white; throat, 

 white tinted with grey; breast above, pale buff or yellowish 

 brown, tinged with ash grey, with bars of brown and reddish 

 white on the sides, which are reddish orange; below, the 

 breast is nearly white with a tint of red. The feathers of 

 the back are pale yellowish brown, each with a very dark 

 brown central streak, and a slight tinge of olive green. 



The axillary feathers are orange brown; greater and lesser 

 wing coverts, rich golden chesnut brown; primaries, dull 

 reddish brown; tertiaries, pale yellowish bay brown, streaked 

 along the centres with very dark brown. The tail has the 

 feathers dark brown along their centres, edged with pale 

 yellowish brown; upper tail coverts, also dark along the 

 centres of the feathers, the edges being pale yellowish bay 

 brown; under tail coverts, pale buff or reddish brown, with 

 bars of darker reddish brown and reddish white. The legs 

 and toes, which are long, are pale dull yellowish, with a 

 tint of reddish brown or grey. 



The female is not quite so large. The head on the sides 

 has less grey and not so clear. The greater and lesser wing 

 coverts are not so bright in colour. 



The young are at first covered with black down. 



