TROPIC BIRD. 443 



long, acute ; primaries strong, tapering, the first longest, the rest rapidly 

 graduated; secondaries very short, incurved, rounded, the inner longer. 

 Tail of twelve feathers, wedge-shaped, the two middle feathers extremely 

 elongated, narrow, and tapering. 



Bill orange-red. Iris brown. Tarsi and base of toes yellow, the rest 

 and the webs black, as are the claws. The general colour of the plum- 

 age is pale pink, or white tinged with carmine, the two middle tail fea- 

 thers redder. A curved spot before the eye, and band behind it, black. 

 A band of the same colour extends across the wing from the flexure, 

 running narrow along the middle coverts, much enlarged on the inner 

 secondaries and their coverts, and including the extremities of the scapu- 

 lars. The outer webs, shafts, and a portion of the inner webs of the first 

 four primary quills, are also black, and there is a spot of the same on 

 some of the primary coverts. The shafts of the two middle tail feathers 

 are black, excepting towards the end ; and some of the long hypochon- 

 drical feathers are greyish-black in the centre. 



Length to end of tail 29 1 inches, to end of wings 16 ; to end of 

 claw 14; extent of wings 38; wing from flexure 11;^; tail J9J; bill 

 along the ridge 2, along the edge of lower mandible 2|; tarsus 1{§; 

 middle toe It*^, its claw ^^. Weight 15 oz. 



Adult Female. Plate CCLXII. Fig. 2. 



The Female resembles the male, but is less tinged with red. The 

 bill is yellow, the iris and feet as in the male. The tail-feathers are also 

 less elongated. 



Length to end of tail 26 inches, to end of wings 14;^, to end of claws 

 13 ; wing from flexure 11 ; tail 16 ; extent of wings 34 ; bill along the 

 ridge H, along the edge of lower mandible 2^; tarsus ^§ ; middle toe 

 lx%, its claw ^|. Weight 12 oz. 



