8286 



Birds. 



web; above that there is a broad band of pale reddish brown, bordered with white, 

 succeeded by an irregular band of black; the rest of the feather white, tinged with 

 yellow towards the extremity, which is slightly margined with black, the latter colour 

 gradually increasing on the rest of the feathers : fourth almost similar, but the white 

 at the extremity is tinged with yellow, and the black spot at the tip increases in size; 

 this feather also is margined with black on the outer web : the fifth differs only from 

 the last by haviDg the reddish brown colour on the centre of the feather darker, with 

 more black on the outer margin and at the tip, and the white towards the extremity of 

 the feather has still more of the rufous tinge : sixth very like the former, except that 

 the rufous tinge gradually darkens ; the transverse black bar runs somewhat more 

 diagonally across the feather, and the black at the base, bordering the centre patch of 

 rufous, takes a diagonal form corresponding to' the bar near the extremity : seventh 

 almost similar, but the black bar is more inclined, so is the black patch at the base : 

 the eighth is almost wholly black, the transverse band extending to the margins, and is 

 prolonged on and near the shaft to the tip, which is also margined with black ; the upper 

 edge of the lower black portion of the feather is irregularly shaped, and the reddish 

 brown colour is darker. The wing has twenty-five quills— the first longest, but the 

 second only the tenth of an inch shorter ; the rest of the primaries regularly gradu- 

 ating, the secondaries increasing, so that the longest is but half an inch shorter than 

 the first primary. The quills are black, tipped with white ; the first has the shaft 

 white, except towards the extremity, where it becomes dark ; the outer web very nar- 

 row, margined with white ; the inner web is altogether dusky : the second quill is of a 

 sooty black, very slightly margined with white on the outer web, and tipped with the 

 same: third quill black, with the exception of being slightly margined on the inner 

 web and at the tip with white : the rest of the primaries are dusky, and the white on 

 the inner margins and at the points gradually increases : the white of the secondaries, 

 which are incurved, is much broader, with the exception of the last elongated ones, 

 which have very little white about them, except at the extremities ; they are soft, 

 glossy and almost transparent, of a dusky black on the inner webs, but towards the 

 extremities there are a few spots and bars of rufous, besides some white patches on the 

 margins; the outer webs are black, transveisely and diagonally marked with zigzag 

 bars of reddish brown, margined with white and tipped with the same, except at the 

 extremity of the shaft, which is black. Some of these feathers, as well as scapulars, 

 are very peculiarly marked, appearing as if another and smaller feather, with a rufous 

 border, were laid on the top of a black one with a white margin. Upper primary 

 coverts black, tipped with white. Secondary coverts black, with a spear-shaped spot of 

 rufous in the centre ; they are margined with white and light reddish brown, and have 

 a spot of black at the tip. Under-wing primary coverts gray, spotted with white on 

 the margins, and tipped with the same. The under secondary coverts, which are more 

 elongated, are gray, barred and tipped with white. Chin and upper part of throat 

 grayish white, with minute dark brown spots, and on each side, of the neck there are 

 narrow elongated black patches bordered with gray ; but on the breast, as well as 

 towards the sides, the feathers are black, broadly margined with grayish yellow, and 

 tipped with white. Lower part of the breast barred with black and white in about 

 equal proportions. Belly white. Feathers near the vent black, broadly margined, 

 spotted and tipped with reddish yellow. Under tail-coverts, which reach to within a 

 quarter of au inch of the extremity of the tail, arc reddish yellow, with irregular black 

 bars. Tarsus and toes dusky, with a greenish tinge." Having as yet had no opportu- 



