BOAT-BILL. 21 



across the lower part of the neck behind is a transverse band of 

 brownish black, which passes forwards on each side towards the 

 breast, ending- in a point, but does not encompass it; the fore part of 

 the neck and under parts bluish white, except the belly and thighs, 

 which are rufous; the feathers which hang over the breast are loose, 

 as in the Heron ; the tail three inches and a half long, and the wings 

 reach nearly to the end of it; the leg measures three inches ; and 

 the thigh, from its insertion to the knee, four; the middle toe two 

 inches and a half; the bare part above the knee one inch and a half, 

 the colour of the bare parts yellowish brown, claws black ; the toes 

 connected at the base by a membrane, which, as in the Umbre, is 

 deepest in the outer one. 



A. — Cochlearius neevius, B?-is.v. 508. 7d.8vo.ii. 346. Ind. Orn. ii. 671. /3. 

 Spotted Boat-bill, Gen. Syn. v. p. 27. 



This differs in being varied with spots of brown. 



B. — Cancroma cancrophaga, Lin. i. 233. Gm. Lin. i. 618. Boroivsk. iii. 105. t. 56. 



Ind. Orn. ii. p. 671. y. 

 Cochlearius fuscus, Bris. v. 509. Id. 8vo. ii. 345. 



Gallinula aquatica, Tamatia, Rait, 116. 12. Will. 238. Id. Engl. 318. pi. 78. 

 La Cuilliere brune, Buf. vii. 443. PI. enl. 869. 

 Brown Boat-bill, Gen. Syn. v. 28. 



Size of the others. Head and crest the same ; the upper parts, 

 instead of ash-colour, are of a pale rufous brown ; tail rufous ash ; 

 under parts wholly of a cream-colour ; bill and legs yellow brown. 



I find these birds to vary very much : in the first place, the crests 

 are by no means of equal lengths, for the Cinereous One, mentioned 

 by Buffbn, had a shorter crest than the Brown Sort, but in those 

 which have come under my inspection, it was just the contrary.* The 

 bills, too, differ in colour; some are black, others brown, and in one 



* One in Mr. Bullock's Museum had the head perfectly smooth, with no appearance of 

 a crest. 



