Page:Ornithological biography, or an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, vol 2.djvu/371

Rh compressed towards the tip ; upper mandible bent towards the end, the sides convex, the sharp edges inflected and having an indistinct sinus near the tip ; lower mandible nearly straight ; gap line slightly arched. Nostrils basal, approximate, oblong. Head large and depressed, neck short, body slender. Feet extremely short and weak ; tarsus rounded, destitute of scutella ; toes extremely short, the three anterior nearly equal, each with only two joints, hind toe puny, with a much smaller claw ; claws strong, shortish, compressed, arched, very acute.

Plumage short, compact, rather blended, slightly glossed ; wings ex- tremely elongated, falciform, quiUs narrow with excessively strong shafts, the first longest. Tail of ten feathers, very short, slightly rounded, the shaft of extraordinary strength, and projecting beyond the webs in the form of a stiff" prickle.

Bill black. Iris black. Feet dusky, with black claws. The general colour is brownish-black, lighter on the rump, and with slight greenish reflections on the head and back ; the throat greyish-white, gradually shaded into the greyish-brown colour of the under parts, which have a peculiar grey and greenish lustre ; the space from the eye to the bill black ; a greyish-white line over the eye.

Length 4f inches, extent of wings 12 ; bill along the back y^g, along the edge -^^ ; tarsus ^^.

Adult Female. Plate CLVIII. Fig. 2.

The Female is similar to the male.

Two views of the nest are also given in the plate.