30 CRIMSON-WINGED TROOPIAL. 



straight, being a little convex at the base, the ridge a little flattened toward 

 the base, where it runs into a short tapering process, the sides rounded, the 

 edges inflected, the tip slightly depressed; lower mandible higher at the base 

 than the upper, with the angle rather short and wide, the sides rather flat and 

 inclined inwards at the base, convex toward the end, the edges inflected, the 

 tip acute; the gap-line straight, but at the base deflected. Nostrils oval, in 

 the fore part of the short nasal depression. 



Head of moderate size, ovate, with the forehead flattened; neck short; body- 

 moderately stout. Feet of ordinary length; tarsus rather stout, compressed, 

 with seven large anterior scutella, of which the upper are blended, the two 

 lateral plates meeting at an acute angle behind; toes rather large, compressed; 

 the first much stronger, the outer a little shorter than the inner; claws large, 

 arched, compressed, laterally grooved, very acute. 



Plumage soft, blended, glossy, the feathers ovate and rounded; those on 

 the fore and upper parts of the head standing erect, so as to present a velvety 

 surface. Wings rather long, the second quill longest, but exceeding the 

 third only by half a twelfth, the first shorter than the fourth ; the secondaries 

 broadly rounded; the second, third, fourth, and fifth primaries cut Out on the 

 outer web toward the end. Tail of twelve broadly rounded feathers, rather 

 long, slightly rounded, the lateral feathers being two-twelfths shorter than 

 the middle. 



Bill and feet black. The general colour of the plumage is glossy bluish- 

 black, on the head velvet-black; the smaller wing-coverts scarlet, at the base 

 white. 



Length to end of tail 9 inches, bill along the ridge y| ; wing from flexure 

 5^2-; tail 4^; tarsus 1^; hind toe ff-, its claw -^-; second toe ^z, its claw f|; 

 third toe f|, its claw ^; fourth toe -f f, its claw -f^. 



Female. 



The female, which is much smaller, has the bill and feet greyish-black; 

 the upper parts are dark brown, the feathers edged with light brown; the 

 smaller wing-coverts edged with dull scarlet, the first row with whitish; the 

 larger coverts, the quills and tail-feathers blackish-brown, edged with yellow- 

 ish-brown; the lower parts are dull brown, but the throat, and a broad streak 

 over the eye are dull orange. 



