488 LOPHOPHORUS SCLATERI, Jerd. 



f o$}0|$ottttS Stolen, Jerd. 



Through the kindness of Mr. J. Wood-Mason I have had 

 an opportunity of examining a skin of a very fine male of this 

 rare species. 



A few measurements taken from this skin and a brief 

 description may be useful to some of my readers : — 



Length, 27 ; wing, 12*4; tail, from vent, 9 ; bill, at front, 

 straight, 1*3; from gape, 1*95 ; tarsus (feathered in front and 

 at the sides for 1*2 ), 3*2 ; mid toe, to root of claw, 2 '45 ; claw, 

 0*75 ; hind toe, to root of claw, 0*8 ; claw, 0*6. 



On one leg a short blunt spur, - 5 in length, on the other 

 merely a low horny boss. 



The fifth quill is the longest, the sixth sub-equal, the fourth 

 0"3, the third 0*9, the second 2 - l, and the first 2'6 shorter than 

 the longest. 



There is a large bare space all round the eye, which, in the 

 fresh bird, is bright blue. The irides were brown. The legs 

 and feet dark brown. The bill yellowish horny. 



The entire lower parts, including the wing lining, velvet black ; 

 the feathers in one light with a dim slightly greenish, and in 

 another light with a faint purplish reflection. 



The sides, top, and back of the head metallic green ; all the 

 occipital and nuchal feathers curled up, much like the feathers 

 on a pelican's neck ; the ear-coverts metallic green, with a decided 

 steel blue glance ; the entire back and sides of the neck rich bur- 

 nished copper color ; base of the back of the neck and entire 

 interscapulary region very bright metallic green, scarcely at all 

 mingled with any other colored reflections ; middle back, rump, 

 and upper tail-coverts pure silvery white ; most of the feathers of 

 the rump dark shafted ; tail a deep maroon chesnut, all the feathers 

 broadly tipped with white ; primaries and their greater coverts 

 and secondaries black, the latter with metallic reflections 

 towards the tips on the outer webs. The rest of the wing and 

 scapulars all with a brilliant metallic lustre as it were burnished, 

 mostly more or less green in one light ; but the feathers about 

 the shoulder of the wing with a deep steel blue and purple 

 glow ; the lesser coverts immediately below these with an 

 intense ruddy golden or coppery glow, and most of the lesser 

 and median coverts and the outer scapulars with more or less 

 of golden or coppery reflections in different lights. 



With the sole exception of the crest, which is insignificant as 

 compared with that of Impeganus, the present species is, I think, 

 decidedly handsomer than the common one. 



