136 THE COMMON GALLINULE. 



declinate as far as the middle, then arcuato-declinate, the ridge rather narrow, 

 the sides nearly perpendicular, towards the end slightly convex, the edges 

 sharp, with a notch close upon the narrow obtuse tip. Nasal groove extend- 

 ing to the middle of the bill, rather broad; nostrils submedial, lateral, linear, 

 direct, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and narrow, the sides 

 nearly erect, with a groove to the middle, the dorsal line beyond the angle 

 ascending, straight, the edges sharp, inclinate, the tip narrowed, rather sharp. 



Head small, oblong, much compressed. Neck of moderate length, slender. 

 Body much compressed. Feet large, long; tibia bare a considerable way 

 above the joint; tarsus rather long, strong, compressed, anteriorly covered 

 with broad scutella, laterally with angular scales, posteriorly with minute 

 scales; hind toe comparatively small, middle toe longest and much longer 

 than the tarsus, fourth considerably shorter, and but little longer than the 

 second; toes free, slender, compressed, scutellate above, flat beneath and 

 marginate; claws rather long, slender, much compressed, acute. 



Plumage soft, blended, on the fore part of the head short; a tuft of elon- 

 gated incurved feathers on the sides. Wings short, broad; alula large; 

 primaries curved, broad, second and third longest, first and sixth about 

 equal; secondaries broad and rounded. Tail short, much rounded, of twelve 

 rather weak rounded feathers, which but slightly exceed the upper and 

 lower coverts. 



Frontal plate and bill deep carmine, the ends of both mandibles yellow. 

 Iris bright red. Feet yellowish-green, a portion of the bare part of the tibia 

 carmine; claws dusky. Head and neck deep bluish-grey; that colour con- 

 tinues paler over the breast, sides and abdomen, the latter having the 

 feathers tipped with greyish-white, and the posterior hypochondrial feathers 

 having a longitudinal band of white towards the end; lower eyelid white, 

 as are the lateral lower tail-coverts, those in the middle black. The back 

 and wings are deep olive, the latter having a narrow edging of white, which 

 also runs along the outer quill. Tail brownish-black. 



Length to end of tail 14 inches, to end of claws 19; extent of wings 22; 

 wing from flexure 7i; tail 3; bill from base of frontal plate ly|, along the 

 edge of lower mandible H; tarsus 2i, middle toe 2 T 7 2, its claw ^. Weight 

 12 oz. 



The female is similar to the male, but has the frontal plate smaller. 



The young, when fledged, have the upper part of the head of an olivaceous- 

 brown, like the back and wings, the neck of a light dull grey, the chin dull 

 white, the lower parts light gre} r , tinged with yellowish on the breast, most 

 of the feathers tipped with whitish, the lines on the hypochondrial feathers 

 of a dull cream colour and of small extent. The frontal plate is small, and 



