144 GOLDEN-EARED GItAKLE. 
slioukler-covers, tliere is a strong tinge of Hue, 
glossed with purple. The sliouhler-covers, however, 
are not scale-like, and their colour blends into the 
green of the wings. At the top of each of the 
lesser and greater covers is a large spot of deep 
velvet-black, which thus forms two bands. Across 
the middle of the lesser and tertial quills is a broad 
uninterrupted bar of the same deep black, dividing 
these quills, as it were, into two parts, that nearest 
the base being entirely green, w'liile the other is 
tinged with rich purple : the greater quills are 
without any band. The base of the tail, in like 
manner, is crossed for about two-thirds its breadth 
with a similar band, which is glossed with purple 
on the lateral feathers, leaving the terminal portion 
green. The tail-covers are unusually long, extend ■ 
ing on the tail more than one inch and a quarter 
beyond the tip of the wings, another character 
which distinguishes it from its congeners. Between 
the bill and the eye is a stripe of velvet black. The 
feathers on the ears and sides of the head are very 
small and scale-like, and of a rich purple, but they 
terminate in a shining spot of a golden copper 
colour. The under plumage is very different from 
the upper, for it has no green reflections : the pre- 
valent hue is of the darkest and most beautiful 
purple-lilac from the chin to the vent, except in the 
middle of the body, which is strongly glossed, in all 
lights, with yellowish copper; not so bright, how- 
ever, as the spot on the ears : the under tail-covers 
alone are green : the tail is rounded. Independent 
