THE YELLOWSHANK TATLER. 315 



end convex, the edges soft and obtuse, the tip slightly deflected. Nasal 

 groove long and narrow, extending to a little beyond the middle of the bill; 

 nostrils basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very long 

 and extremely narrow, the dorsal line straight, the sides convex, with a slight 

 groove in their basal half. 



Head small, oblong, anteriorly narrowed. Eyes large. Neck rather long 

 and slender. Body slender. Feet very long, slender; tibia bare for half its 

 length, scutellate before and behind; tarsus also scutellate before and behind; 

 hind toe very small and elevated; fore toes of moderate length, very slender, 

 connected at the base by webs, of which the outer is much larger; second or 

 inner toe considerably shorter than fourth, third longest; all scutellate above, 

 flat and marginate beneath. Claws small, slightly arched, much compressed, 

 obtuse, that of middle toe much larger, with the inner edge enlarged. 



Plumage very soft, blended, on the fore part of the head very short. 

 Wings long, narrow, pointed; primaries narrow and tapering, first longest, 

 second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries short, broad, 

 incurved, obliquely rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, 

 rounded, of twelve rounded feathers. 



Bill black. Iris dark brown; edges of eyelids dark grey. Feet bright 

 yellow, claws brownish-black. Upper part of the head, lores, cheeks, neck, 

 and sides of the neck deep brownish-grey, the edges of the feathers greyish- 

 white; a white line from the bill to the eye and over it; upper part of throat 

 white; fore-neck greyish-white, streaked with brownish-grey, as are the 

 sides, the rest of the lower parts white, the lower tail-coverts slightly mark- 

 ed with grey. The general colour of the back and scapulars is olivaceous- 

 brown, tinged with grey, the feathers edged with small dusky and white 

 spots. The wing-coverts and inner secondary quills are similar, the mar- 

 ginal spots on the latter forming bands; primary quills blackish-brown, the 

 shaft of the outer brownish-white, of the rest dark brown, the edges of the 

 inner, and of the middle secondaries white; hind part of back grey, upper 

 tail-coverts white, the larger obscurely barred with grey. 



Length to end of tail 10|- inches, to end of wings lly ? 2, to end of claws 

 13 T 2 j, extent of wings 20; wing from flexure 6^; tail 2^; bill along the 

 back 1 T 5 2, along the edge of lower mandible 1^; bare part of tibia 1 T %; tarsus 

 1||-; middle toe l-^, its claw -ff . Weight 2\ oz. 



Two series of papillae on the anterior part of the roof of the mouth. 

 Tongue \\ inches long, emarginate and papillate at the base, as deep as 

 broad, channelled above, tapering to a narrow but obtuse horny point. 

 (Esophagus 4^ inches long, 3 twelfths in width; proventriculus 3j twelfths. 

 Stomach rather small, elliptical, 8 twelfths long, 6 twelfths broad; the lateral 

 muscles rather strong; epithelium dense, rather thin, with numerous longi- 



