SCOLOPACEOUS COUKLAN.

183

narrow, the dorsal line slightly convex, the edges obtuse, becoming sharptowards the end. Nasal groove nearly half the length of the bill; nostrilsdirect, linear, long.

Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Eyes rather large. Neck longand slender. Body ovato-oblong, much compressed. Feet very long andslender, rather stout; tibia bare in its lower half, which is anteriorly coveredwith hexagonal scales, posteriorly with transverse scutella ; tarsus long, com-pressed, anteriorly with numerous broad scutella, laterally with very smallelongated scales, posteriorly with large scutelliform scales, many of whichare divided ; toes long, rather slender ; hind toe small and elevated ; fourthconsiderably longer than second, middle toe nine-twelfths of an inch longerthan the outer ; the anterior toes are divided to the base, compressed, scutel-late above, scaly on the sides, papillate beneath, compressed and not mar-ginate. Claws of moderate length, very slightly arched, compressed,tapering to a point; that of the first toe smallest, of the third largest, withoutserratures on the inner edge, which is thin and a little expanded.

Plumage of ordinary texture, rather compact and glossy on the upperparts, blended on the lower; feathers on the head and neck short, oblong ; onthe back ovate and very broadly rounded. Wings of moderate length, verybroad, concave, rounded; primaries broad, secondaries very broad androunded ; first primary two-thirds of the length of the second, which is ten-twelfths shorter than the third ; the fourth, which is longest, exceeds thethird by one-twelfth, and the fifth by half a twelfth ; some of the seconda-ries reach to half an inch of the tip of the longest primary when the wingis closed ; the three outer quills are narrower toward the base than towardthe extremity, more especially the first. The tail is short, broad, convex,rounded, of twelve broad, rounded feathers.

Bill greenish-yellow, dusky toward the end of both mandibles, but espe-cially of the upper; iris hazel; feet lead-grey, claws dusky. The generalcolour of the plumage is chocolate-brown, the upper parts glossed withpurple and bronze reflections ; the fore part of the head paler, inclining togrey, each feather with a greyish-white central line ; the sides of the headand the throat are still lighter, and a small portion of the throat is whitish,these parts being streaked with greyish-brown and greyish-white ; the lowereyelid white. The hind part and sides of the neck are marked with ellipticalspots of white in regular series, there being one on each feather, some ofthem extending forwards to the posterior angle of the eye. Some of thefeathers on the middle of the breast and the lower wing-coverts are similarlymarked with lanceolate white spots, the tail is more highly glossed andcoloured than the rest of the upper parts.

Length to end of tail 25f inches, to end of wings 25, to end of claws 32,