22 THE HOUBARA. 



him weighed 10 lbs ; but this is some error, for I have weigh- 

 ed more than one hundred, and have in this number only met with 

 three exceeding 5 lbs in weight, and none of these by more 

 than 4 ozs. 



Adult Females. — Length, 25 to 27-5 ; expanse, 47 to 51 ; wing, 

 14*25 to 15*25 ; tail from vent, 7-75 to 925 ; tarsus, 3*15 to y6 ; 

 bill from gape, 2 to 2-5. Weight, 2ft>. 10 ozs. to 31b. 12 ozs. 



The irides vary from pale to bright yellow, and it is the 

 more necessary to note this because Bree figures them red, 

 and Dresser as brown, and even our own artist has not made 

 them the clear light yellow that they are. 



The legs and feet are pale yellow, never clear and bright, mostly 

 with a dingy, or greenish, or plumbeous tinge, at times creamy ; 

 the bill is blackish or dusky above, paler, usually greenish or 

 yellowish, on gape and lower mandible. 



The Plate would be really good if the chromo-lithogra- 

 phers had not reproduced the running of the black on the 

 neck, which unfortunately occurred in Mr. Neale's painting, 

 and if human art could do justice to the inconceivably delicate 

 pencillings that adorn the entire upper surface. The specimen 

 figured was a very brightly coloured one ; the majority are 

 greyer and less rufous, especially on the front of the neck and 

 on the tail. The plate is wrongly lettered. I consider Houbara 

 a recognizably distinct sub-genus. 



■^w 



