324 Mr. W. R. Ogilvie-Grant on Birds 



The total length measured in tlie flesh is, c? 580 mm., 

 ? 570 mm. 



This species has been regarded as a form o£ T. cuvieri, but, 

 as has already been pointed out, it is structurally different and 

 has the terminal portion of the tibia naked. Both the bill 

 and the legs are proportionately much smaller than in 

 T. cuvieri. Lastly, there are the marked differences in the 

 colour of bill and the naked skin of the head. 



All the specimens of T. fuscirostris in the present collection 

 appear to be rather smaller than the specimens from South- 

 east New Gruinea listed in the British Museum Catalogue. 

 The type-localities are given as South New Guinea and the 

 Aru Islands, and Count Salvadori records the wing-measure- 

 ment as 280-285 mm., which measurements agree with our 

 two specimens from South-east New Guinea. All the birds 

 procured between the Mimika and the Utakwa Rivers by the 

 B. 0. U. and Wollaston Expeditions have smaller dimensions. 



Mimika to Utakwa Rivers : — 



8 J . Wing 250-2(36 mm. ; tail 135-151 ; tarsus 83-86. 

 6 2- „ 261-263 mm.; „ 145-147; „ 82-83. 



S.E. New Guinea : — 



2 d" . Wing 280, 290 mm. ; tail 169, 179 ; tarsus 98, 90. 



Beyond the difference in size, there does not seem to be 

 any character by which the smaller Mimika and Utakwa 

 River birds may be separated from typical T. fuscirostris. 



Quite young birds, when about one-third grown, resemble 

 the adult in plumage, but the sides of the head and throat are 

 covered with soft dark grey plumes. 



When first hatched the nestling has the loose plumage of 

 the crown and mantle black, irregularly mottled with sandy- 

 rufous ; the lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts black, 

 the plumes on the two last-named being much lengthened 

 into a soft bunch ; the cheeks and throat covered with 

 brownish-white downy plumes, becoming yellowish- white on 

 the chin ; the chest, breast, and flank-feathers black edged 

 with rufous-chestnut, and the abdomen almost entirely 

 chestnut. 



