Page:Ornithological biography, or an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, vol 2.djvu/584

548 dible straight; acute. Nostrils basal, elliptical, half-closed above by a membrane, covered over by the feathers. The whole form is slender, al- though the bird looks somewhat bulky, on account of the loose texture of the feathers. Legs rather long ; tarsus slender, longer than the mid- dle toe, much compressed, covered anteriorly with a few indistinct scu- tella ; toes scutellate above, the lateral ones nearly equal and free ; hind toe stouter ; claws weak, compressed, arched, acute.

Plumage very loose and tufty. Short bristles at the base of the bill. Feathers of the head elongated, silky. Wings of ordinary length, the third and fourth primaries longest. Tail of twelve feathers, emarginate, of ordinary length.

Bill black, yellow at the base of the lower, and on the edges of the upper mandible. Iris light brown. Feet yellowish-brown, the under parts yellow. The general colour of the upper parts is dull olivaceous, lighter behind. The eye is encircled with greyish-white, of which colour also are the tips of the wing-coverts. Quills and tail dusky, edged with greenish-yellow. The silky feathers of the crown of the head vermilion. The under parts greyish-white.

Length 4| inches, extent of wings 6 ; bill I ; tarsus |.

Adult Female, in summer plumage. Plate CXCV. Fig. 2.

The female resembles the male, but the tints are in general duller, especially the greenish-yellow of the wings.

Kalmia angustifolia, Willd. Sp. PI. vol. ii. p. 601 Pursh, Fl. Amer. vol. i. p. 296. — Decandria Monogynia, Linn. Rhododendra, Juss.

This species is characterized by its petiolate, ternate, cunea to-oblong leaves, which are obtuse and tinged with red beneath. The corymbs of beautiful deep rose-coloured flowers are lateral ; the peduncles and calyx downy, and the bracteoe smooth. It grows to the height of two or even sometimes four feet, and is common in the Northern States and British Provinces ; flowers from the end of June to the middle of August.