towards its base. Legs and toes, in preserved specimens, light brownish
red, the webs between the toes a pale flesh-colour, with small brownish red
variegations towards the toes; claws dark brownish red, each marked superiorly
towards its base with a narrow longitudinal yellowish brown stripe. Eyes
blackish brown.
F o k m , &c.—Figure moderately robust, head and neck rather small; hill
stout, particularly towards the base, the hook of the upper mandible rather
robust and moderately arched, the curvature less than in P.Forsteri; the
cutting edge of the under mandible slightly arched towards the tip, and the
latter, which is acute, is slightly inclined downwards; nasal tube short,
depressed and terminated by two nostrils, separated by a visible septum.
Tarsi rather slender, and clothed with small, flat, irregularly shaped scales ;
anterior toes moderate, and the place of the hinder one occupied by a short
pointed claw. Webs broad, the anterior margin of that between the outer and
middle toe slightly oblique; in the one between the middle and inner toes,
the obliquity is greater; claws short, slender, slightly curved and pointed.
The wings when folded reach to the tip of the tail, the first and second quill
feathers nearly of equal length and longest. Tail much rounded, the two
middle feathers being about an inch longer than the outer one of each side.
DIMENSIONS.
Length from the tip of the bill to the
point of the tail ........... 10 9
of the bill from the gape ...... 1 2
of the wings when folded...... 7 6
of the tail................................ 4 0
Length of the tarsus.......
of the outer toe...
of the middle toe
of the inner toe...
of the hinder toe
The colours of the male are the same, only rather brighter.
Inches. Lines.
i j l
1 4
1 4
1 1
0 1
This species is less bulky than P . F o r s te r i, and is readily distinguished from it, not
only by marked differences of the bill, but also by its tail being more rounded, and very
differently marked at the point. The bill of P . F o r s te r i is longer and narrower than that of
the species just described, and the hook of its upper mandible is much more compressed and
more curved: the relative length of the wings is also different in the two species in question, m
P . F o r s te r i, when folded, they exceed the point of the tail by at least an inch; .in P . l u r tu r ,
again, they only reach the extremity of the centre tail feather.
The observations we have made in regard to P . F o r s te r i will equally apply to this species,
which is an inhabitant of the same seas, where, it observes the same practices, and apparently
feeds upon the same kind of food.