MEN URA, 
Genus LIT* MENURA,. 
ILL ftout, conico-convex, a trifle naked at the bafe. 
Nosrrits oval, placed in the middle of the bill. 
Tar long, confifting of fixteen loofe webbed feathers; the two 
middle ones narrow, exceeding the others greatly in length; the 
outer one on each fide growing much broader, and curved at the end. 
Lees ftout, made for walking. 
‘HIS fingular bird is about the fize of a Hen Pheafant; the total 
length from the point of the bill to the end of the longeft tail 
feathers is more than three feet and a half:. the bill, from the tip to 
the beginning of the feathers at the bafe, is one inch and a quarter, 
but to the gape about half an inch more; it is nearly ftraight,. 
except towards the end, where it is fomewhat curved; the noftrils 
are a longifh oval flit, placed beyond the middle part, where it is 
deprefled; round the eye fo little furnifhed with feathers, as to appear 
nearly bare: the head of the male is fomewhat crefted: the general 
colour of the plumage on the upper parts brown: the greater part 
of the wing inclining to rufous: the fore part of the neck, from the 
chin to the breaft, inclines alfo to rufous, but the reft of the parts be- 
neath are of a brownifh afh colour, paler towards the vent: the tail 
confifts of fixteen feathers, and is of a fingular conftruétion, being 
chiefly compofed of loofe webbed feathers, much refembling thofe 
fpringing from beneath the wings of the greater Bird of Paradife, 
but the vanes are placed at a quarter of an inch diftance each; thefe 
feathers are’ twelve in number, and more than two feet in length ; 
befides thefe are, firftly, two flender feathers which take rife fiom the 
centre of the tail above, and reach confiderably beyond the ends of 
the others, and curve towards the end, they are fully webbed on the 
outer fide, but om the inner only furnifhed with fhort vanes, one 
eighth of an inch long; and laflly, the exterior feather on each fide 
is fingularly confpicuous, in leneth fomewhat fhorter than any of the 
others, but the webs fully connected throughout, at the bafe about 
Mm 5 an 
971 * 
SUPERB 
M. 
DEscRIPTION. 
