YELLOWSHANK. 575 



Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge convex, broader 

 at the base, slightly depressed towards the end, the sides sloping, towards 

 the end convex, the edges soft and obtuse, the tip slightly deflected. 

 Nasal groove long and narrow, extending to a little beyond the middle of 

 the bill ; nostrils basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle 

 very long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line straight, the sides convex, 

 with a slight groove in their basal half. 



Head small, oblong, anteriorly narrowed. Eyes large. Neck rather 

 long and slender. Body slender. Feet very long, slender; tibia bare 

 for half its length, scutellate before and behind ; tarsus also scutellate be- 

 fore and behind ; hind toe very small and elevated ; fore toes of moderate 

 length, very slender, connected at the base by webs, of which the outer is 

 much larger ; second or inner toe considerably shorter than fourth, third 

 longest ; all scutellate above, flat and marginate beneath. Claws small, 

 slightly arched, much compressed, obtuse, that of middle toe much larger, 

 with the inner edge enlarged. 



Plumage very soft, blended, on the fore part of the head very short. 

 Wings long, narrow, pointed ; primaries narrow and tapering, first longest, 

 second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries short, 

 broad, incurved, obliquely rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. 

 Tail short, rounded, of twelve rounded feathers. 



Bill black. Iris dark brown ; edges of eyelids dark grey. Feet bright 

 yellow, claws brownish-black. Upper part of the head, lores, cheeks, 

 neck, and sides of the neck deep brownish-grey, the edges of the feathers 

 greyish-white ; a white line from the bill to the eye and over it ; upper 

 part of throat white ; fore neck greyish- white, streaked with brownish-grey, 

 as are the sides, the rest of the lower parts white, the lower tail-coverts 

 slightly marked with grey. The general colour of the back and scapulars 

 is olivaceous brown tinged with grey, the feathers edged with small dusky 

 and white spots. The wing-coverts and inner secondary quills are simi- 

 lar, the marginal spots on the latter forming bands ; primary quills black- 

 ish-brown, the shaft of the outer brownish-white, of the rest dark brown, 

 the edges of the inner, and of the middle secondaries white ; hind part of 

 back grey, upper tail-coverts white, the larger obscurely barred with grey. 



Length to end of tail lOf inches, to end of wings 11 j%, to end of 

 claws 13i^5, extent of wings 20 ; wing from flexure 61% ; tail 2^ ; bill 

 along the back 1/^, along the edge of lower mandible 1/^ ; bare part of 

 tibia ly'V ; tarsus 1{^; middle toe \j%, its claw ^%. Weight ^^ oz. 



