166 AMPEL1D/E. 



shaft, these are long, thin, spoon-like substances resembling 

 coral, and lying side by side when the wing is closed ; these 

 in the adult male sometimes amount to nine in number, and 

 the longest are about four lines in length. The tertials are 

 purplish-grey, tipped with white ; the larger wing-coverts are 

 black, with white tips. The tail-feathers are ash colour at 

 their base, black in the central portion, and bright yellow at 

 their tips. In males of mature age the tail-feathers are also 

 furnished with the same horny spoon-shaped appendages of 

 bright red, before mentioned, these are never more than a 

 line or a line and a half in length. The under wing-coverts 

 are greyish, or pearl white, changing to grey and ash colour 

 towards the tips of the quill-feathers. The vent and long 

 under tail- coverts are bay, or reddish-brown. 



The younger birds (which are more generally met with) 

 have the ornamental feathers of the head much shorter, the 

 yellow colour on the quills and tip of the tail much paler, 

 and the red appendages smaller and less numerous on the 

 wing, and entirely wanting on the tail. 



The females are in all respects like the male, but their 

 colours are paler and less defined. These birds do not moult 

 before August or September, according to observations made 

 both on tame and wild individuals. 



