5k 
or Paradise Bunting. 333 
tone is pale ash-colour, which gradually deepens till it becomes 
of a dark wood-brown, with black patches over different parts of 
the head, neck, and back ; a black stripe reaches from the bill to 
the nape, on each side, immediately over the eyes, with a double 
longitudinal row of black spots on the crown of the head ; the au- 
ricles are also black, The minores of the wing with black patches 
at their base ; the primaries, secondaries, middle wing coverts, 
and remiges, ‘deep black, with cinereous edges ; the middle and 
lateral tail feathers black, edged with pale wood-brown: from the 
pectus to the crissum the belly is pure white, deepening into 
wood-brown, towards the wings; thighs white, legs, feet, and 
claws, pale skin-colour, which they preserve during the whole 
year. 
"A precise description of the plumage, in its winter or summer 
garb, will not apply, during either of the periods of these moults, 
for, as above noticed, it is “perpetually changing, so that my des- 
criptions apply only to its perfect condition. 
Summer Plumage.—Plate IX. 
The summer attire, when perfect, has the head as low as the 
nape, chin, fore part of the throat and neck, wings, vent, and tail 
of a deep black ; the lower part of the neck or jugulum, bright or- 
piment-orange ; the breast or peltus vivid burnt terra-sienna, 
growing paler as it descends ; the belly or epigastrium, and tibia, 
white in the centre, inclining to orange, towards the wings ; the 
two middle tail feathers are four inches in length, placed vertically, 
one inch and a fourth broad, ending in a filamentary prolongation 
of the quills, an inch and a-half long, tipped with a small nob of 
feathers ; the two outer tail feathers are nine inches and a-half in 
length, and an inch and an eighth broad at their centre, gradually 
tapering towards each end, and terminating in a filament an inch 
and an eighth in length, with a nob at their tips. From the mid- 
dle of the shafts of these last arise two long thread-like extremely 
flexible feathers, four and a-half inches in length; the under tail 
feathers are four in number, two and a quarter inches long, black, 
with cinereous edges. The whole tail feathers are extremely ‘glossy ; ; 
and strongly undulated, which is distinctly to be seen, and is 
very perceptible to the touch: which last’ character is ‘peculiar 
to all the feathers of the bird, but not so evident without the as- 
sistance of a lens. 
The bill undergoes considerable change in the summer and winter 
plumage, both in shape and colour, which is produced by exfolia- 
tion. being deep bluish-black in summer and pale lead colour in 
winter. 
On the morning of the 6th December last, the centre tail fea- 
thers fell off, and on the evening of the same day the long side tail 
feathers dropt, which has been uniformly the case in the changes 
that have already taken place. 
