LAZULI FINCH. 65 



Adult Male in summer. Plate CCCXCVIII. Fig. 1. 

 Bill short, robust, conical, a little bulging, straight, acute ; upper 

 mandible broader, its dorsal outline somewhat convex, the ridge nar- 

 row, the sides sloping and a little convex, the edges sharp, with a slight 

 notch close to the narrow declinate tip ; gape-line a little deflected at 

 the base ; nostrils basal, roundish, partly concealed by the feathers ; 

 lower mandible with the angle short and rounded, the dorsal line ascend- 

 ing and very slightly convex, the sides rounded, the edges involute, 

 the tip acute. 



Head of moderate size, broadly ovate ; neck short ; body rather 

 full. Feet of ordinary length ; tarsus much compressed, covered an- 

 teriorly with seven scutella, of which the upper are blended, posteriorly 

 with two long plates, meeting so as to form a very thin edge ; toes 

 free, of moderate size, the first large, the lateral equal, the middle 

 toe longer than the first. Claws slender, compressed, well arched, 

 acute. 



Plumage full, soft, blended. Wings of ordinary length, the second 

 and third quills longest, the first nearly one-twelfth of an inch shorter 

 and about equal to the fourth ; outer secondaries slightly emarginate, 

 inner not elongated. Tail of moderate length, emarginate, of twelve 

 obtuse feathers. 



Bill and feet brownish-black. The head and neck all round are of 

 a beautiful greenish-blue, as are the hind part of the back and rump ; 

 the loral space black ; the fore part of the back, the scapulars, the 

 wings and tail are brownish-black, all the feathers margined with blue ; 

 the wing crossed by a conspicuous white 'band formed by the first row 

 of small coverts, and an obscure band of bluish-white formed by the 

 tips of the secondary coverts. On the fore part of the breast is a broad 

 band of light brownish-red ; the sides, lower wing-coverts, and tibial 

 feathers are bluish-grey ; the rest of the lower parts white. 



Length; to end of tail 5j^j inches; bill along the ridge ^| ; wing 

 from flexure S^t; ; tail 2^| ; tarsus xj ; hind toe ^^, its claw rs 5 middle 

 toe II , its claw y|. 



Adult Female. Plate CCCCXXIV. Fig. 1. 



The Female has the bill and feet like those of the male ; the upper 

 parts light greyish-brown, the hind part of the back and the rump 

 greenish-blue, but of a faint tint ; the cheeks and throat pale reddish- 



VOL. V. E 



