The legs, which arc short, and the toes long, are blackish blue-grey,
"with a dull green tint about the joints; "webs, dusky black.
After the breeding-season the male assumes temporarily the plumage
of the female.
The female is nearly as large as the male. Bill, dark bluish grey
or lead-colour, (lie tooth black. The 'head and front' are encircled
by a broad yellowish white line at the base of the upper mandible,
to the width of about half an inch, and decreasing from thence to
the chin; iris, yellow. The head has a whitish spot on the sides
towards the back. The feathers on the crown are larger than the
others; it, the neck on the back, and the nape, dull or blackish
chocolate brown, the feathers tinged more or less with a paler tint,
the sides of the head and neck with green. Breast above, dark dull
blackish, also with more or less of a paler tint or white on the edges
of the feathers; below dull tawny white, the sides and flanks marbled
with zigzag lines of white and brown. Back on the upper part,
dusky, the tips of the feathers lighter grey, thus barred across with
irregular dusky lines, the middle part dusky black, with a tinge of
changeable green; below white.
Greater and lesser wing coverts, dusky black, tinged with variable
green; primaries, dusky brownish black, with nevertheless a glossy
lustre; secondaries dusky brownish black at the tips, the speculum
white, with a black border; tertiaries, black, with a tint of olive
green. Tail, dark dusky brown, with a glossy tinge; upper tail coverts,
dull black brown, the feathers more or less margined with a paler
tint, hogs and t o e s , bluish lead-colour; claws, black, webs, dark leadcolour,
nearly black.
The young male bird resembles the female, but the light colour
on the back is varied with brown. The young female is less distinct
in all the colours, and the zigzag black and white lines are almost
entirely wanting.