Thk Zoologist— ApPxIl, 1870. 2089 



"iiis pale blue." Crests pale sliaw-colour ; some of the posteiiov 

 feathers, which grow from the black part of the head, black at base. 

 Face pure white, abruptly defined. This white occupies the lores and 

 sides of the head to the base of the crest, and encircles the bill, 

 broadly on the sides, narrowly above and below. The black of the 

 crown comes down the forehead to within a fourth of an inch of the 

 cnlraen ; just filling the crown between the crests, and ending with a 

 directly transverse outline. The white on the side of the lower jaw 

 extends to within about the same distance from the under mandible. 

 A narrow, very distinct pure white line along the anterior edge of the 

 fore-arm. Entire upper parts and under tail-coverts glossy black ; 

 sides of head and neck, and throat and breast fuliginous brownish 

 black ; other under parts the same, but more grayish ; under surfaces 

 of wings smoky gray. Wings and tail black ; the inner webs of the 

 feathers brownish black ; the shaft of the first primary whitish on its 

 under surface towards its base. The preceding description is taken 

 from an unusually fine male specimen in the Smithsonian Museum 

 (Sitka, May, 1867), representing the very highest condition of maturity. 

 The crest is more than four inches long. It is not often that such 

 very perfect specimens are met with in collections. 



Length between IS'OO and 1600; wing 775; tail about 200; 

 tarsus 1"30; middle toe 200, its claw '50; outer toe I'SO, its 

 claw, "40 : inner toe 1"25, its claw 'oO ; bill — greatest depth (a little 

 in front of extreme base) 1*90; greatest width (at angle of mouth) 90; 

 chord of culmen 2"40, of which the terminal portion is l'4lO; rictus 

 about 1'90 : gonys 1'60; greatest depth of upper mandible 1"15; 

 nostrils "25 long. 



Young (full-grown) : Bill smaller than in the adult, and not so deep 

 at the base ; sides of terminal moiety of upper mandible perfectly 

 smooth ; chord of culmen 2'00 : depth of bill at base 1*40. No crest ; 

 slight indications of it in some short yellowish filamentous feathers on 

 the auriculars. White line on fore-arm imperfect. White about head 

 as in the adult ; but the black reaches nearly or quite to the base of the 

 culmen and gonys. Otherwise like the adult; the under parts rather 

 more grayish. The bill and feet appear to have been less brightly 

 coloured. 



This strange bird fairly disputes with Phaleris psittacula the claim 

 to be regarded as the oddest of the odd species of this family. The 

 peculiar configuration of the bill strongly characterizes it at all ages, 

 independently of its remarkable head- markings. Though known for 



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