CATALOGUE. 
603 
substance swallowed is immediately and easily regorged into the bill, 
rubbed a little more, and swallowed again. The discomposed wiry 
feathers of the head and neck, which are rather longer than the 
rest, form a sort of pendent ruff, that is capable of partial erection 
at the bird's pleasure. The inner margins of the bill are, by nature, 
united and entire, but with their edges cut out, and interlocked 
towards the base ; and so they continue to be in the oldest birds. 
Towards the tip, the inner margins are, in old birds, much and 
irregularly broken, and separated by hard use, and the ridge also is 
broken by similar means. The naked skin round the eyes and base 
of the bill is of a velvety softness, and of a rich light-blue ; the bag 
depending from the throat, which is of the size of a fowl's egg, is 
bright scarlet; this the bird fills and empties at will, but never 
changes its colour. The legs are so placed in the body, that the 
bird, in perching, grasps somewhat obliquely. 
A young specimen was taken in the beginning of August, and 
was then tolerably well-grown and well-fledged, having the wiry 
feathers of the head, neck, and body beneath, dingy red ; tail entirely 
white, save at either extremity, where was a margin of black ; iris of 
eye greenish-white ; bill unribbed on the upper mandible, and with 
the green tinge stronger than in the old bird ; inner edges of the 
bill quite smooth and united ; naked skin round the eyes, and base 
of bill, and bag beneath the chin, wanting the fine colours of matu- 
rity. Voice like the clucking of a brood-hen, falling now and then 
into the shriller, more homophonous note of the guinea-fowl ; in 
other respects, like the mature bird. Now, in the middle of 
November, the following changes have taken place : the bill less 
green ; the first rib of the upper mandible developed ; the naked 
skin at the base of bill, and bag beneath, taking rapidly the fine hues 
of maturity ; the basal third, and more of the tail, black ; and the 
tip no longer black ; the dingy red of the body beneath darkened a 
good deal on the thighs and vent ; the voice hoarser, and like the 
mature birds ; the inner margins of the bill still perfectly entire. 
The skinned carcase of an adult [female] measured from first to 
last joint of neck 8 in., from last joint of neck to end of rump 9 in." 
— (Hodgson.) 
Mr. Blyth states, that " the young of both sexes of this species 
resemble the mature male.'* 
