286: COMMON WATER THRUSH. 



Plumage soft, blended ; bristles at the base of the upper mandible 

 very small, so as to be readily overlooked. Wings of moderate length, 

 broad ; the second and third quills longest and equal, the first one- 

 twelfth of an inch shorter, and slightly longer than the fourth, w^hich 

 exceeds the fifth by a quarter of an inch, the intervals between the 

 rest about a twelfth ; secondaries abruptly rounded. Tail of moderate 

 length, even. 



Bill deep brown above, flesh-coloured on the lower mandible, of 

 which the tip is brownish. Iris deep brown. Feet and claws flesh- 

 coloured. The general colour of the upper parts is dull greenish- 

 brown, of the lower pale yellow. A streak of the latter coloiu- passes 

 from the nostril over the eye ; the loral space and a streak behind the 

 eye dusky ; the cheeks yellowish-grey, streaked with brown ; the 

 whole fore part and sides of the neck, the breast and the sides, are 

 marked with triangular dark brown spots, which are more elongated 

 on the sides ; the abdomen and sides unspotted ; the lower wing-co- 

 verts brownish-grey ; the tibial feathers greyish-brown. 



Length to end of tail 6i% inches, to end of wings bf^, to end of 

 claws 5i% ; extent of wings 9^ ; bill along the ridge ^\, along the edge 

 of lower mandible j'V ; wing from flexure Z^^ ; tail 2|| ; tarsus ^§ ; 

 hind toe /g, its claw |^ ; second toe ^|, its claw J| ; third toe ^s, its 

 claw ^^ ; fourth toe /g, its claw J|. 



The Female is considerably less, but in all other respects similar. 



Length to end of tail bf^ inches, to end of wings 4/^, to end of 

 claws 5^ ; extent of wings Sj'^j ; wing from flexm-e 2!^"! ; tail 2 ; tar- 

 sus |§ ; hind toe t^, its claw f|; second toe ^^, its claw [\ ; thu-d toe 

 |*j, its claw 1^ ; fourth toe ^|, its claw \\. 



Individuals present some slight variations. Thus, in one of my 

 specimens the first qiiill is longest, while in three skins and three spe- 

 cimens preserved in spirits the proportions are as above described ; in 

 two the tail is perfectly even, in two slightly emarginate ; the middle 

 feather being a twelfth in one, a twelfth and a half in the other, 

 shorter than the outer feather, which again in another is half a twelfth 

 shorter than the next. In one specimen, the two outer tail-feathers 

 have a pretty large terminal white spot on the inner web. In some 



