234 
VIOLET-WINGED COURIER. 
stands, to the back, eight inches and a half high. 
The upper plumage is drab-brown, the under, from 
the breast, is pure white ; the front of the head, as 
far as the eyes, is cream-colour ; the ears are drab, 
striped with blackish, and there is a pale brown 
maxillary stripe ou each side the lower mandible. 
The chin and half way down the throat is white, 
which colour extends a good way round the sides 
of the neck and ascends in a stripe behind the ear- 
feathers; the lower part of the neck and breast is 
delicate drab-brown, pale at first, and gradually 
deepening till the colour is terminated by a black 
band, which marks the commencement of the white 
on the body and all the remaining under plumage. 
The sides of the body, under the wings, are light 
buff-yellow. The wings are as long as the tail, the 
tpiills black, as before-mentioned, but the base of 
nearly all are more or less white ; upper tail-covers 
pure white. Tail even, rather shorter than the 
wings, the two middle feathers brown and un- 
spotted, the lateral ones black, with broad white 
tips. Bill strong, compressed at the tip ; gonys 
angulated, colour black ; the base yellow, the legs 
red. The middle claw although dilated is not 
serrated, and the inner toe is shortest. 
Total length about 10 inches ; bill, from the 
gape, ly'jj ; wings, 7f ; tarsus, 3^- ; naked part of 
the thighs, lj 4 „ ; middle toe and claw, 1. 
