IN JKRDON OR STRAY FEATHERS. 343 



I append full descriptions and measurements taken from 

 Macgillivray : — 



" Male. — The cere and bill are pale yellow ; the iris bright 

 yellow ; the tarsi and toes gamboge ; the claws black, with a 

 tinge of greyish blue ; the plumage of the head, neck, forepart 

 of the back and breast, with the upper wing-coverts greyish 

 yellow ; the feathers all greyish brown at the base ; of the other 

 parts greyish brown, edged with yellowish grey ; the scapulars 

 and feathers of the rump glossed with purple ; those of the ab- 

 domen, tibia, and subcaudal region inclining to chocolate 

 brown ; the quills and alular feathers brownish black, with a 

 tinge of grey ; the inner secondaries inclining to greyish brown ; 

 the shafts of all white towards the base; the lower surface of 

 the quills, and the large coverts tinged with greyish blue ; the 

 upper tail-coverts and the tail are white (generally freckled with 

 dusky grey at the base) ; the down on the breast is pale grey, 

 that on the sides darker. 



" Length to end of tail, 36 inches ; extent of wing, 72 ; 

 bill along the ridge, 341 ; along the edge of lower mandible, 3; 

 its height, 1*41 ; wing from flexure, 24 ; tail, 11*5 ; tarsus, 4. 



" Female. — The female does not differ from the male in colour, 

 and her superiority in size is often not very remarkable. 



" Length to end of tail, 40 inches ; extent of wings, 80 ; bill 

 along the ridge, 3*91 ; along the edge of lower mandible, 333 ; 

 its height, 1*66 ; wing from flexure, 27*5 ; tail, 12 ; tarsus, 4"5. 



tl Young. — The bill is brownish black ; the base of the lower 

 mandible yellow ; the cere greenish yellow; the feet yellow ; the 

 claws black ; the bases of all the feathers are brownish white ; 

 their middle parts light reddish brown ; their tips only blackish 

 brown ; the head and nape are dark brown, each feather with a 

 minute brownish white spot on the tip ; on the middle of the 

 back and on the wings, light reddish brown is the prevalent 

 colour ; the black tips of comparatively small extent ; on the 

 third part of the back there is much white, that colour extend- 

 ing farther from the base ; the quills and larger wing-coverts are 

 blackish brown, with a tinge of grey ; the tail-feathers brownish 

 white in the centre, black towards the margins, with irregular 

 white dots ; the lower parts are of the same colour as the back, 

 or are pale reddish brown, marked with longitudinal streaks and 

 spots of dark brown ; the lower wing-coverts brown ; the tail- 

 coverts white, with light brown tips. 



(( Progress towards Maturity. — In the second year the young 

 exhibits little difference, being however of a darker tint 

 on the back and wings. An individual at this age has the bill 

 brownish black, tinged with blue ; its base aud the cere greenish 

 yellow ; the iris hazel brown ; the feet gamboge ; the claws 



