Ornithological Notes. 



179 



The following is a detailed description of the two most 

 perfect specimens which I examined. They were shot near 

 Berwick : — 



Male. — Measures 15£- inches long from bill to point of the 

 two elongated feathers of tail, which are 3J inches longer 

 than the other tail feathers. Length of wing from flexure 

 to point of elongated first primary, 10 j- inches ; first primary 

 elongated point 1-| inches longer than second, which is also, 

 like the others, pointed. Bill small, dark blue, tipped with 

 black. Top of head light buff or fawn colour, with lighter 

 yellowish line over eye, behind the ear becoming of a chestnut 

 colour. The back and upper parts fawn-coloured, feathers 

 broadly edged with black, and some tipped with white — 

 upper tail coverts similar. Chin and throat covered by a 

 rounded patch of chestnut, with defined line of black below 

 it. Neck and breast fawn colour. Feathers at lower 

 part of breast lighter in colour, and edged with narrow 

 black lines, forming a narrow band across breast ; below 

 this band the abdomen is fawn-coloured, and behind this 

 again, a band of very dark brown, or rather black, crosses 

 the abdomen in front of legs. The under tail coverts 

 are dirty white, the base of the feathers being darker. 

 Wing, pointed ; smaller coverts are fawn-coloured, showing- 

 only one or two small round spots of black. Secondaries, 

 reddish brown, forming a bar across the wing when closed. 

 The quills have the central ribs black, like tail, and are of 

 a bluish grey colour on their outer webs. First primary 

 longest, its outer edge black, produced to a setaceous 

 point; others regularly diminishing in length — axillaries 

 white. The tail is fawn-coloured, outer webs dashed with 

 bluish grey, and inner barred with dark brown or black ; 

 the two middle feathers are produced to fine black points 

 or filaments. Legs and feet closely covered all round 

 with short fawn-coloured feathers. Toes rather broad, and 

 conjoined or concrete; no hallux; below bare, and skin 

 reticulated. 



Female. — 13 inches in length. Middle tail feather l| 

 beyond others. AVing to point of primaries, 8J ; hist pri- 

 mary | inch longer than others. Bill dark blue, tipped with 



VOl,. ITT. 2 A. 



