29S HYPERBOREAN PHALAROPE. 



pectinated membranes, which are united at the base, so as to render the foot 

 half webbed; the outer web much longer than the inner. Claws very small, 

 compressed, arched, that of the middle toe with a recurved sharp edge. 



Plumage soft and blended. Feathers of the back, and especially the 

 scapulars, elongated. Wings long and pointed; primary quills tapering, but 

 rounded, the first longest, the second scarcely shorter, the rest rapidly 

 graduated; secondary quills rather short and narrow, the inner tapering and 

 elongated so as nearly to equal the longest primaries when the wing is closed. 

 Tail rather short, much rounded, of twelve feathers. 



Bill black. Iris dark brown. Feet bluish-grey; claws black. The gene- 

 ral colour of the upper parts is greyish-black, the head lighter and more 

 tinged with grey, the scapulars and some of the feathers of the back edged 

 with yellowish-red, of which colour also are the sides of the head and neck; 

 throat and sides of the upper part of the neck white. Wing-coverts and 

 quills brownish-black, tinged with grey, the shafts of the quills, the margins 

 and tips of the secondaries, and a broad bar on the tips of the secondary 

 coverts, white. Tail light grey, the feathers margined with white, the two 

 middle ones dark brownish-grey, the lateral upper tail-coverts white, barred 

 with dusky. The breast and abdomen white. 



Length to end of tail 6 inches, to end of claws 6i, to end of wing 5§; 

 extent of wings 13^; wing from flexure 4 J; tail 2i; bill along the back \% 7 

 along the edge of lower mandible ||; tarsus {§, middle toe |f, its claw -^. 

 Adult Female. 



The female is similar to the male, but the red markings are not so deep in 

 tint. 



Young fully fledged. 



The young bird has the markings similarly disposed, but the upper parts 

 are in general of a dull dark grey, the red of the neck much fainter, and 

 that of the scapulars much paler, and inclining to greyish-yellow. 



The mouth is extremely narrow, its breadth being only 2\ twelfths; the 

 palate straight, with two longitudinal ridges, and three anterior series of 

 papillae; the upper mandible concave, with a median prominent line, the 

 lower more deeply concave; the posterior aperture of the nares linear. The 

 tongue \Q\ twelfths long, emarginate and papillate at the base, immediately 

 after contracted, extremely slender, as high as broad, grooved above, taper- 

 ing to a point, and horny on the greater part of its extent. (Esophagus, 

 a b c, 3^ inches long, its width 2 twelfths; proventriculus, b c, 4 twelfths 

 in breadth. Liver very large, the right lobe 1^ inches long, the left 10 

 twelfths. Stomach, c d e, roundish, oblique, of moderate size, 8 twelfths 

 long, 7 twelfths broad; the lateral muscles large and distinct, the lower 

 prominent and thick; the epithelium of moderate thickness, dense, with 



