SS8 On the Charj t or Otis Bengalensis. [Sept. 



hard, with its tip inclined and notched. Mandibula straight and entire. 

 Gape ample, soft, smooth. Frontal plumes produced far over the bill. 

 Crest full, dishevelled, pendant, 4 inches long. Hackles narrow, 

 composed, 3 inches long, extending from the gullet to the breast. 

 Wings ample, nearly equal to the tail, about one inch less ; its end, 

 firm, not bowed, 3rd or 4th quill longest; 1st and 2nd but slightly 

 gradated. Primes somewhat acuminated in the males, but less so than 

 in the Likh, and emarginated sharply high up on both webs. Tertials 

 broad, soft, not discomposed, but exceeding the primes in length. 

 Tail 16 plumes, moderately and evenly rounded, with upper coverts 

 nearly equalling the plumes. Legs elevate, strong, reticulate through- 

 out. Tibia half nude and about equal to the tarse. Toes short, stout, 

 scutellate, full soled, united by a small basal membrane. Central toe 

 much the largest. Laterals slightly unequal. Nails obtuse, strong, 

 solid, pent or convex above, flat below. 



Colours. — Male. Head, neck, and body below, glossy black. Back, 

 scapulars, tertials next them, and tail-coverts richly marbled, cuneated 

 and zigzaged with jet black upon a rich buff ground. Alars white. 

 Their tips, shafts and external margins (in 3 quills) black ; caudals 

 black with white tips and more or less of buff mottling. Legs sordid 

 stramineous with a bluish tinge. Bill dusky plumbeous above. Blue 

 grey below. Carneous towards the gape. Eye pale hazel. 



Female, Of a rich buff or pale pure fulvous where the male is 

 black. Her alars black, vermiculated more or less with buff. Her 

 neck yet more minutely zigzaged crosswise with brown and her entire 

 upper vest and tail, superbly cuneated, barred and zigzaged with a 

 glorious game mixture of black and fulvous. On the cap the same 

 hues, disposed lengthwise. Sexes of equal size. 



Eggs. — The eggs, about the size of those of a bantam, two inches 

 long by 1^ broad, are of a sordid stramineous hue, very minutely dotted 

 and more largely blotched and clouded with black, somewhat as in 

 Lobivanellus goensis, or the Indian Lapwing. 



Osteology — Sternum. — The entire form and substance of the breast 

 bones indicate great powers of flight. The sternum is 4 inches long, 

 2\ high and 1^ wide. Culmcnally it describes a high convex curve 

 with the edge of its keel, which is itself (the keel) no less than 1 \ inch 

 deep. Postcally (he sternum terminate^ gradually and has its walls or 



