194 



NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 



DESCRIPTION 

 Of a, female, killed at Carlton House, in July 1827- 



Colour of the whole upper plumage blackish-grey, except the head and tail, which 

 are pitch-black, and the inner webs of the quill feathers, which are blackish-brown. The 

 cheeks, and the whole under surface of the body, with the wing linings, are deep bluish-grey; 

 the under tail coverts brownish-red. The insides of the quill feathers are clove-brown, 

 and the tail beneath is blackish-brown. The bill pitch-black, and the legs very dark 

 umber-brown. 



Form. — Bill compressed towards the point, with a rather acute ridge ; cutting mar- 

 gin of the lower mandible slightly curved towards the point, and minutely notched on 

 each side of its tip ; there are some strong hairs at the angle of the mouth. The wings are 

 short and round, being more than two inches shorter than the tail ; the fifth quill feather is 

 the longest; the fourth nearly equals it; the third and sixth are rather more than a line 

 shorter ; the seventh is a quarter of an inch shorter than the sixth ; and the succeeding ones 

 become gradually shorter, the tenth being nearly an inch shorter than the fifth ; the second 

 is equal to the eighth , and the first (or spurious feather) is scarcely half the length of the 

 second, and more than an inch and a half shorter than the fifth. The outer webs, from the 

 third to the sixth inclusive, are sinuated ; the two last very obliquely. The tail is much 

 rounded, the exterior feathers being ten lines shorter than the middle ones. The plumage of 

 the body and head has the barbs very much detached. 



The male differs very little from the female in the colours of its plumage ; but in the young 

 the red tint of the under tail coverts is scarcely discernible. 





Dimensions. 



Inches. 



Lines. 





Length from the tip of the bill to the end of 





Length of the tarsi 



the tail ...... 



2 



,, of the middle toe 



,, of the tail . . . . .4 







„ of its claw 



„ of the folded wing ... 3 



7i 



,, of the hind toe 



,, of the bill along its ridge . . 



n 



,, of the hind claw 



., of the bill from the angle of the mouth 



94 





Inches. 

 1 



Lines 

 1 







10 







3i 



. 



4£ 







4 



