117 
and the bars on the under and upper tail-coverts being most vivid 
m colouring, and remaining so after the tints in other parts of the 
bird had hided considerably. In each the anterior portion of tlie 
toes and the webs of tlie feet were dark brownish black, with a 
blight patch ot blue at the base of the webs; the front of the 
tarsi of a light greenish hue ; but I do not remember the promi- 
nent blue on the knee-joint, as given in Gould’s illustration. 
Idost of these birds, however, had been killed some days. His 
deseri[)tion of the legs and feet of a young Pomatorhine from 
Yarmouth, as observed by himself in Lcadenhall Market, is as 
follows: “Ihe thighs, knees, and half-an-inch of the tarsus beneath, 
and tlie joint immediately above the interdigital membranes a 
beautiful cobalt blue ; the front of the middle part of the tarsi 
jialc greenish blue; the intordigital membi'anes dark chocolate 
black, resembling indiarubber in appearance. Under-surface of 
the foot reddish llesh colour.” The central tail-feathers at this 
stage, though broad at the tips, project only from one-eighth to a 
quarter of an inch beyond the rest. 
Dark Form Adult and Imm.vture. 
Only two adult birds of the dark form came uiuler my notice. 
A ienialo shot at \ armouth late in October, which is now in the 
Zoological iHuscum at Cambridge ; and a male shot at Kolkham 
about the 20th of October, in my own possession. In both 
specimens the plumage is characterised throughout by a rich, 
even colouring of sooty brown ; the upper surface, especially about 
the head and neck, when the birds were freshly killed, having a 
somewhat bronzed appeamnee. This has faded much in my stufl’ed 
specimen ; but the feathers on the sides and nape of the neck are 
rayed, and in a strong light have a warmer tint than the rest of 
tlie plumage. Ihe feet and legs in both birds were an uniform 
black, as in the adult of the white-breasted form, one middle tail- 
feather projecting in the Yarmouth bird, but both shot away in 
that from Holkham. 
Of the ten remaining immature specimens in Mr. Cole’s series, 
six, at least, showed a marked affinity to the adult black form, the 
