BLACK SKIMMER. 73 



moderately full, soft, and blended; the feathers oblong and rounded. Wings 

 extremely elongated, and very narrow; the primary quills excessively long; 

 the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated; the secondaries short, broad, 

 incurved, obliquely pointed, some of the inner more elongated. Tail rather 

 short, deeply forked, of twelve feathers, disposed in two inclined planes. 



Bill of a rich carmine, inclining to vermilion for about half its length, the 

 rest black. Iris hazel. Feet of the same colour as the base of the bill, 

 claws black. The upper parts are deep brownish-black; the secondary quills, 

 and four or five of the primaries, tipped with white; the latter on their inner 

 web chiefly. Tail-feathers black, broadly margined on both sides with 

 white, the outer more extensively; the middle tail-coverts black, the lateral 

 black on the inner and white on the outer web. A broad band of white 

 over the forehead, extending to the fore part of the eye; cheeks and throat 

 of the same colour; the rest of the neck and lower parts in spring and 

 summer of a delicate cream-colour; axillary feathers, lower wing-coverts, 

 and a large portion of the secondary quills, white; the coverts along the 

 edge of the wing black. 



Length from point of upper mandible to end of tail 20 inches, to end of 

 wings 24^-, to end of claws 17; to carpal joint 8^; extent of wings 4S; upper 

 mandible 3-|; its edge 3^; from base to point of lower mandible 4|-; depth 

 of bill at the base 1; wing from flexure 15|; tail to the fork 3^; to end of 

 longest feather 5i; tarsus li; hind toe and claw -f^; middle toe yf, its 

 claw T V Weight 13 oz. 



The Female, which is smaller, is similar to the male, but with the tail- 

 feathers white, excepting a longitudinal band including the shaft. 



Length to end of tail 16 J, to end of wings 20i, to end of claws 16^, to 

 carpus S; extent of wings 44^. Weight 10 oz. 



After the first autumnal moult there is on the hind part of the neck a 

 broad band of white, mottled with greyish-black; the lower parts pure white, 

 the upper of a duller black; the bill and feet less richly coloured. 



Length to end of tail, 16|- inches, to end of wings 20, to end of claws 14^, 

 to carpus 6|-; extent of wings 42. 



In some individuals at this period the mandibles are of equal length. 



The palate is flat, with two longitudinal series of papillae directed back- 

 wards. The upper mandible is extremely contracted, having internally only 

 a very narrow groove, into which is received the single thin edge of the 

 lower mandible. The posterior aperture of the nares is 1 T 3 2 inches long, 

 with a transverse line of papillae at the middle on each side, and another 

 behind. The tongue is sagittiform, 6^ twelfths long, with two conical 

 papillae at the base, soft, fleshy, flat above, horny beneath. Aperture of the 

 glottis A\ twelfths long, with numerous small papilla; behind. Lobes of the 



Vol. VII. 10 



