C22 MR. GURNEY ON DRYOTRIORCHIS SPECTABILIS. [NoV. 30, 



sparsely set and slightly curved black hairs, from ^ to | of an inch 

 in length, similar but shorter hairs also fringing both eyelids ; the 

 cere, gape, and base of the lower mandible are lemon-yellow, the 

 sides of the lower ramus, as far as the yellow colour extends, being 

 furnished with sparse hairs, some dark and some white, not curved, 

 but otherwise resembling those on the lores ; with the exception of 

 the yellow base of the lower mandible, and a spot of dull pale blue 

 on each side of the upper mandible, adjacent to the nostril, the 

 entire bill is jet-black ; the tarsi and feet are a clear rich yellow ; and 

 the claws are white with a faint tinge of bluish pink — which is not 

 a little remarkable, considering that the adult bird, as evidenced by 

 Captain Shelley's specimen, has the claws jet-black ; the middle 

 ■ claw is distinctly serrated on its external edge. 



The whole aspect of the head, both as regards the coloration and 

 the arrangement of the feathers, is remarkably Circaetine — an effect 

 which is increased by the curved hairs springing from the lores, as 

 well as by the power the bird has of partially erecting the feathers 

 on the back of the head ; the cheeks and ear-coverts are pale whitish 

 buff; the feathers on the sides of the neck are similarly coloured on 

 the edge, with dark brown centres : but two of these feathers on the 

 left side are quite white ; on the forehead the feathers ate also of 

 a pale buff, with narrow dark brown shaft-marks. 



The crown of the head and entire mantle are dark brown with 

 very narrow light brown edges to the feathers ; these are palest on 

 the lesser wing-coverts, and are most strongly marked on the upper 

 tail-coverts ; some feathers of the median wing-coverts show one, 

 others two cross-bars of a darker brown than the general colour of 

 the mantle ; the quill feathers of the wing are pure white on the 

 inner web, the outer web being brown with cross bars of ^a darker 

 brown ; many of the primaries had been cut before the bird came 

 into the Society's possession ; and it may probably be owing to this 

 cause that some of the new primaries appear to be abnormally 

 deficient in colour, being white on both webs, with the exception of 

 a slight longitudinal mottling of dark brown on each side of the 

 shaft, which is also dark-coloured. 



]\Ir. Bartlett informed me that when the bird first came to the 

 Gardens, about three months since, the tail was worn down : new 

 rectrices have since been grown, the colour of which is dark brown, 

 crossed by five somewhat irregular blackish brown bars : the ground- ' 

 colour of the inner web of the lateral rectrices, however, is white. 



The throat wants the blackish brown central streak which is found 

 in the adult bird ; but the dark lateral throat-streaks are visible, 

 though not conspicuous. The under surface of the body is white, 

 with the centre of the feathers occupied by large dark brown spots, 

 surrounded by margins of pale buff ; the flanks are similarly spotted 

 instead of being barred as in the adult ; the under wing-coverts are 

 white, with a few narrow marks of dark brown. 



In illustration of these remarks, I am glad to be able to refer to 

 an excellent drawing of this specimen, taken from the life, which is 

 reproduced on the accompanying Plate. 



