40-2 WILSONS PHALAROPE. 



mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge flattened, the sides at the 

 base sloping, but towards the end nearly horizontal, the edges obtuse, the 

 tip narrow. Nasal groove linear, long ; nostrils basal, linear, pervious. 

 Lower mandible with the angle very long and extremely narrow, the sides 

 slightly convex, the tip narrowed. 



Head small, with the fore part high and rounded ; eyes of moderate 

 size. Neck rather long and slender. Body slender. Feet rather long, 

 slender ; tibia bare a considerable way above the joint ; tarsus extremely 

 compressed, narrowed before, very thin behind, covered anteriorly with 

 numerous scutella, posteriorly with two series of scutella meeting with a 

 sharp edge ; toes slender, first very small, free, with a slight membrane 

 beneath, second slightly shorter than fourth, third considerably longer ; 

 all scutellate above, margined on both sides with narrow, slightly lobed, 

 crenate membranes, which are united at the base so as to form short webs, 

 of which the outer is longer. Claws very small, compressed, arched, that 

 of the middle toe with the inner edge sharp. 



Plumage soft and blended. Feathers of the back and wings distinct. 

 Wings long and pointed, primary quills tapering but rounded, the first 

 longest, the second scarcely shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secon- 

 dary quills rather short, broad, obliquely rounded, with a small tip, the 

 inner tapering and elongated, so as nearly to equal the longest primaries 

 when the wing is closed. Tail rather short, nearly even but with the 

 two middle feathers longer, of twelve rounded feathers, of which the outer 

 are incurved. 



Bill black. Iris brown. Feet bluish-grey, claws black. The general 

 colour of the upper parts is brownish-grey, the hind neck and upper tail- 

 coverts greyish- white, the top of the head ash-grey. A white line over 

 the eye ; a band of black along the lore, under the eye, and down the 

 side of the neck, on which it becomes broader and changes into chestnut- 

 brown, when it proceeds along the scapulars of a brownish-red colour ; 

 another brownish-red band across the wing and including part of the inner 

 secondaries. Quills greyish-brown, the outer primaries and their coverts 

 darker. Tail-feathers pale brownish-grey on the outer, white more or less 

 mottled on the inner webs. Throat and cheeks white; fore neck orange- 

 brown, fading below, and extending paler along the sides of the body ; 

 breast, abdomen and lower wing-coverts white ; lower surface of wings 

 pale grey, of tail white. 



Length to end of tail 10 inches, to end of claws 11 ; extent of wings 



