NOVELTIES. 317 



ously so ; the feathers of the ruff across the throat and as far 

 as opposite the gape are grey brown, margined throughout 

 their length pretty broadly, and tipped with cream color, more 

 rufescent, aud fawny towards the tips ; the rest of the feathers 

 of the ruff from the gape round behind the eye are very pecu- 

 liar ; when examined closely they are rather pale French grey 

 on one surface, warm brown on the other surface, and obscurely 

 tipped with rufescent fawn. 



The forehead, crown, occiput and nape are a pale rufescent 

 fawn, obscurely mottled with dusky brown ; when the feathers 

 are closely examined, the basal portions are bluish dusky, the 

 rest pale rufescent fawn or buff, with an obscure ill-defined 

 dusky brown bar, some little distance from the tip, and another 

 imperfect bar or spot of the same color near the tip. 



The lesser wing-coverts from the carpal joint to the body 

 are an uniform smoky brown, somewhat intermediate between 

 a hair-brown and an earth-brown. The scapulars, back, me- 

 dian and greater wing-coverts are dull pale rufescent fawn, 

 clouded and streaked with this same brown — most of the 

 secondary, median and greater coverts having more or less pure 

 white spots or blotches on the outer webs near the tips. The 

 first primary is almost uniform brown, a shade darker per- 

 haps than the lesser coverts, edged creamy white on the outer 

 web, and a mottling of the same towards the middle of the 

 inner web near the base. The rest of the quills are a lighter 

 and perhaps greyer shade of this same brown, regularly barred 

 with pale fawn color, which is duller and shaded with grey 

 brown on the inner webs towards the tips, and becomes white 

 away from the shaft, towards the bases. The tail is tipped with 

 nearly pure white, and is exactly of the same character as the 

 quills, but the bars in the two central- feathers are reduced to mere 

 blotches on either side of the shaft. The breast and abdomen 

 appear to have been creamy ; the feathers of the sides of the 

 former, with a few very indistinct transverse dusky bands, and 

 those of the latter with narrow brown shaft stripes. 



The entire wing-lining (except the tips of the greater pri- 

 mary lower coverts, which are dusky brown,) the whole basal 

 portions of the quills, the vent, lower tail-coverts and feathers 

 of the legs and feet pure white. 



The lower surface of the tail grey brown, barred with 

 white. The terminal portions of the quills on their lower 

 surface, and the whole of the first primary, grey brown ; 

 the first with one patch, others with obscure bars of greyish 

 or brownish albescent. 



As far as I can judge this bird is fully adult ; indeed the lower 

 mandible is a good deal worn, and it may be quite an old bird. 



41 



