Page:The birds of America, volume 7.djvu/224

162 numerous small somewhat rectangular scales. Hind toe very small and elevated; the fore toes rather long, the fourth little shorter than the third; all scutellate above, and connected by reticulate webs; the lateral toes margined externally with a thick membrane. Claws small, slightly arched, somewhat compressed, blunt, that of the middle toe with the inner margin expanded. The plumage is full, close, elastic, very soft and blended, on the back and wings rather compact. Wings very long, broad (four outer primaries only partially developed); secondaries broad and narrowly rounded. Tail even (not fully developed).

Bill yellow, with an orange-red patch toward the end of the lower man- dible. "Iris light hazel." Feet flesh-coloured, claws dusky. The head, neck, lower parts, rump, and tail, are pure white; the back and wings light greyish-blue, of a deeper tint than in L. argentatus; the edges of the wing and the extremities of all the quills are white; the first seven quills are greyish-black toward the end, that colour including the outer webs and the greater part of the inner of the two first, and on the rest gradually diminish- ing, so as on the seventh merely to form a subterminal bar; the first quill with a patch of white on both webs near the end; the tips of all being white. Length to end of tail 25 inches (but the tail is not full grown); bill along the ridge 2 T 7 2, along the edge of lower mandible 3^, its depth at the base ^ at the angle j^; tarsus 2 {§; hind toe ff, its claw -ff ; second toe lyg-, its claw T y, third toe 2^> its claw -ff; fourth toe 2y|, its claw -j 3 ? . Young Male.

Bill flesh-coloured, beyond the nostrils and angle black, with the tips horn- coloured. Feet flesh-coloured; claws brownish-black. The upper part and sides of the head, the hind part and sides of the neck light brownish-grey, mottled and streaked with white; on the back the colour is light greyish- blue, some of the feathers mottled with brown, the adult plumage having been partially assumed; the wing-coverts are chiefly of a greyish-brown colour; the primary quills greyish-black, without white at the end; the secondary blackish-grey, margined and tipped with white, finely undulated with brown. The rump is white; the tail greyish-black, tipped with white; the whole outer web of the outer, and the basal half of that of the next feather white; the lower wing-coverts dusky-grey. All the lower parts are greyish-white, obscurely mottled with pale brownish-grey.

Length to end of tail 27 inches; bill along the ridge 2|-, along the edge of lower mandible 3 T 2 2 -, its height at the base |§, at the angle ||; wing from flexure 17i; tail Ik', tarsus 2j£; middle toe 2^, its claw -ff.

From the above description, it will be seen that in proportions and colour- ing this species does not difler much from L. argentatus. It is much larger, however; its bill is deeper and stronger in a very conspicuous degree, and its tarsi and toes are considerably longer.