302 WILSON'S PHALAROPE. 



Plumage soft and blended. Feathers of the back and wings distinct. 

 Wings long and pointed, primary quills tapering but rounded, the first 

 longest, the second scarcely shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondary 

 quills rather short, broad, obliquely rounded, with a small tip, the inner 

 tapering and elongated, so as nearly to equal the longest primaries when the 

 wing is closed. Tail rather short, nearly even, but with the two middle 

 feathers longer, of twelve rounded feathers, of which the outer are incurved. 



Bill black. Iris brown. Feet bluish-grey, claws black. The general 

 colour of the upper parts is brownish-grey, the hind neck and upper tail- 

 coverts greyish-white, the top of the head ash-grey. A white line over the 

 eye; a band of black along the lore, under the eye, and down the side of the 

 neck, on which it becomes broader and changes into chestnut-brown, when 

 it proceeds along the scapulars of a brownish-red colour; another brownish- 

 red band across the wing and including part of the inner secondaries. Quills 

 greyish-brown, the outer primaries and their coverts darker. Tail-feathers 

 pale brownish-grey on the outer, white more or less mottled on the inner 

 webs. Throat and cheeks white; fore-neck orange-brown, fading below, and 

 extending paler along the sides of the body; breast, abdomen and lower 

 wing-coverts white; lower surface of wings pale grey, of tail white. 



Length to end of tail 10 inches, to end of claws 11; extent of wings 17-^-; 

 wing from flexure 7 T ^; tail 2^; bill along the back 1 T 7 2, along the edge of 

 lower mandible ly^; bare part of tibia f; tarsus 1?; middle toe 1 T 2 2, its 

 claw |f. Weight 2j oz. 



The female, which is somewhat larger, is in colour precisely similar to the 

 male. Weight 3 oz. 



Young in autumn. 



The young bird after the first moult has the bill brownish-black, the iris 

 brown, the feet greenish-yellow, the claws black. The upper parts are 

 variegated with brownish-black and light greenish-yellow, the central part of 

 each feather being of the former colour; primary quills brownish-black; tail- 

 feathers as in the adult. The lower parts are white. 



