with yellow next the shaft, and contrasting with tho dark brown 
(almost black in some males) of tho remaining 2)ortion of that web, 
luw a curious laddcr-liko apiicaranco when tho wing is closed. 
B 
A. Lii{ht-i!oIoure<l jMitc-U on outer web of primary riuill. 
II. "Return ’* mars'in to inner web. 
lhat the “return” margin.s of the inner web.s, like tho li-dit- 
coloured patches on the outer webs of the primaries, are, however, 
given to variation, even in what may be considered richly-coloured 
birds, will be seen by a coniparLson of both Gould’s and Dresser’s 
plates with tho following description taken from one of tho wings 
of a fine male, in my collection, having eight and seven wax-tips 
to tho secondaries. TIio first primary (^uill being dwarfed I 
commence with the second. 
Patch ox outer web. 
1 . 
2 . 
4 . 
5 . 
(). 
7 . 
y. 
i). 
A wliite speck only. 
Small and white. 
Larger, ami pure white. 
Three parts yellow. 
Rich yellow. 
}} 
“ReTURX” ox rXXER WEB. 
Wanting altogether. 
About a-inch, white. 
Larger, all white. 
Slight tinge of yellow ne.xt shaft. 
Yellow i-inch, rest white. 
» )> 
)> 
)) iV-inch yellow, not continued. 
Wanting altogetlier. 
].oth wings are very similar in their markings, and in both 
the return extends furthest in the sixth and seventh primaries. 
And here I should remark that, as shown by the list, three of the 
male birds with wax-tipped shafts to the tail-feathers had fine 
return margins to the primaries, but I have no record whether 
the otlier two were similarly ornamented. 
Ou referring, also, to the list, I find ih.at of the instances in 
’VNliich I have noted tho appearance of these “return” margins, seven 
