under tail coverts light buff-orange faintly barred with umber-brown. Interscapular
and back variegated with bright orange-brown, liver-brown, light buff-
orange, and dull pearl-grey,—the buff-orange in narrow stripes, one along the
centre of each feather, the liver-brown in transverse bars, which are both before
and behind edged with reddish orange; the pearl-grey towards and at the
tips of the feathers in many specimens fades into white. The lesser wing
coverts are barred both longitudinally and transversely with buff-orange, and
each bar is edged with liver-brown,—on these feathers the pearl-grey is more
distinct than on those of the back. Primary and secondary quill feathers
dull umber-brown, the former finely freckled with small buff-orange spots,
the latter with pale reddish orange bars which change into white towards the
edges of the outer vanes, the inner vanes towards quills light orange-red;
the tertiaries and scapulars with a reddish orange line in the course of their
shaft, and barred transversely with the same colour, each bar being edged
before and behind with liver-brown, and between the edgings the colour is
a light pearly grey, finely mottled with umber-brown. Tail umber-brown,
with waved, transverse, reddish orange bars, the feathers, particularly at the
tips, tinted with pearl-grey. The edge of the upper mandible towards its
base, and the base of the lower one reddish yellow, elsewhere brownish
red. Legs and toes a rusty buff-orange; claws brownish-red; the base of
the spur reddish yellow* the remainder brownish red. Eyes deep
brownish red.
F orm, &c. — Figure moderately robust; head rather small; bill much
arched towards the point, the upper mandible considerably longer than
the lower, and obtuse at the point. Wings rounded, and when folded reach
a little beyond the base of the tail; the third quill feather the longest* the
second and fourth a little shorter, the first about an inch shorter than the
second ; tertiaries and scapulars nearly as long as the primaries. Tail rather
long and rounded at the tip. Tarsi compressed, anteriorly coated with large
scales, laterally with small scales, and behind with scales of an intermediate
size. Toes slender, with rudimentary webs ; claws slightly curved, rather
slender, and blunt at the point; spur originating on the inner and posterior
aspect of the tarsus is short, curved, and towards the point turned obliquely
upwards.