SKY LA.KK. 
17 
whitish, and edged more broadly with reddish brown; tertiaries, 
brown, with broad light brown edges. The tail, somewhat 
forked, dusky brown, the edges of each feather being light 
brown; the two central ones are brown, broadly edged with 
light reddish brown; the outer feather on each side is white 
on the outer web, excepting at the base, with a longitudinal 
oblique streak of white on the inner web; the next to it 
dusky on the inner web, the outer web, or the greater portion 
of it, white: all the feathers are rather broad. Upper tail 
coverts, as the nape; under tail coverts, pale yellowish brown; 
legs, yellowish brown, paler in some specimens, the joints 
dusky; toes, dusky brown, the middle one rather long, the 
hind one very long, and slightly curved; claws, dusky brown, 
the hind one very long and straight, except the outer half, 
which is slightly curved. 
The female closely resembles the male in appearance and 
plumage. Length, nearly seven inches: the wings expand to 
the width of one foot one inch. 
The young are of a light yellowish grey colour, the feathers 
of the upper parts being dusky, tipped and margined with 
the former. In their second plumage the dark markings are 
darker than in the old birds, and the bill and feet paler; the 
claws, especially of the hind toe, shorter. 
Varieties occasionally occur; some are seen pure white, and 
others cream-colour, and some, though these are rare cases, 
mottled with white. William Thompson, Esq., of Belfast, 
describes one which had the primaries, secondaries, and tail 
snowy white; and another, a true albino, with red eyes. In 
confinement they sometimes turn black, probably the result 
of some peculiarity in the food; one such, however, recorded 
by Mr. Thompson, of Belfast, has been shot in a wild state. 
In confinement, too, the claws have been known to grow t® 
the length of two inches. 
voi.. in. 
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