382 
BRITISH BIRDS. 
on its ridge two and three-quarters : it is of a dark 
horn colour, and the tip or nail of the upper bill is 
much hooked and lharp : from the bafe of this it is 
furrowed on each fide nearly to the tip, without 
any vifible appearance of noftrils : the lower bill is 
compreffed, and covered about the gape of the 
mouth with a naked yellowifh Ikin, extended un- 
der the chin and throat, where it hangs loofe, and 
forms a kind of pouch, which, together with the 
fpringing blades on each fide, forming its rim, is 
capable of diftention to a great width, and enables 
the bird to fwallow prey apparently too large to be 
admitted into its throat : the Ikin about the eyes is 
alfo naked, and of the fame colour as the pouch : 
the eyes, which have a remarkable wild flare, and 
are placed near the bill, look like two little green- 
ifli glafs globes. The crown of the head, and the 
neck, are black : on the hinder part of the former 
the feathers appear elongated, and form a fort of 
loofe ftiort creft. In fome fpecimens the throat is 
white, with a kind of flripe pafTing from it upwards 
behind each eye ; in others the cheeks and throat 
are mixed with brown and white ; and again, in 
others the head and neck are flreaked with fcratches 
of the latter colour : the middle of the belly is 
white, with a patch of the fame colour over each 
thigh : all the under parts, however, together with 
the back and rump, are commonly of a gloffy blue 
black, with green reflections ; the fhoulders, fcapu- 
