me COMMOIf GA.VNKT.
Bill longer than the head, upcniug beyond'the eye*. straight, olens?.'
iwd-ccm('al, modérât eh ..compressed. ©ppèr mamdihle with «1« dorsal
line straight and cU-i-linaUs a r t e end w i t : and a littledecurvod-;
ridgs very-broad, cm'vii.v, with a slight median -carina,>'tad .separated
on -eacii side, 'from the »ides, .which, are neatly iperpendichlar., ••sEgMfly
conwex, and havè an <additional naa?rw jointed piece below the; eytei;
e«g<-.< shan-p. direct, <i.nvgiilarh serrate, with tilrmcrous sh'tidcr <cuts
«rested backwards ; tip oompressea, a little dootiru«!, rather acute.
No •Cvtmiiil nostrils. Lower mandible with the angle w r j longand
®aiai©w,-the ifflfeMMei straight; ascoedM^ iâeisides «recti conwex, «ie
atoip and. serrated, theimp oomprëssed and ishanp,.
Head 'large. ; n<»;k h« »derate 'length and <vc!ry tthieki body rf
-»derate tali, rater «losigaéed,; wings ]®ng. I-Vet short, stmnt;,
placed rather far behind , tibia; concealed ; tarsus «sty shoiit, routined
tWfteei «harp feelind, at iits upper -part tmtari»rly >syith rating large
roundish-fiat 'scal-fes, in the iegt ©f its extent, with ¡vkjry isntiiff roMong
tebereless aM&iqrlyithereli-^ierselyioHong
-scatettsv WhiA Mni down sihe -toss. -The latter are .long: and slender,
all united by memfoames, «ifeh are wttenltoly gfcumlated, <ai«d hare
teir »at-gite* straight ; -first 'toe -Tatlnir sittali, dii>ei«'.l inwards and
. '-forwards, eniddlfe toe fengest, te-outer'aîmost <>t(uid. '¡3IawsrDf moderate
size,.-sightly arched, those-'of tfa;. feat »ltd .mid« I.- tiim depressed;
the (latter with its 'inner <>*%•»• Mn and fim-tiriated.
'Plainage-generally'dose, (Saf e 'compact'• the -feathers fflnlffill and
rounded ; thiwoun tlm bead !;nfl nook blon.lcd andvlig'htk glossed. A
toe space bëtwSem teMllttittÎ the oyi'S'Siui-rounditi-a tlmlaner, aml'iixtenditeg
an iiicfh 'behind te angle-of-te mouth. Tie gular-nïmrib'ra»«,
also biirc -for a Small breadth, exti-wling Wo im-lms 'bc<yoml 'the base- of
the mandible. About a (jHaT«:r c*' an inch of the tibia bare. Wings
voT.v fejfi hawow, acute ; primaries MaWag, narrow, tapering rapidly
# : ninnd.'d ¡¡nir« : ifim Hn<rest, *'.e«Jitl abtiftt -a q«arter»of 'an- invh
shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries short, rather broad,
rounded, with a minute acumen. Tail rather long, cuneate, of twelve
narrow tapering feathers.
Hill paMilu-A-gfey,'tinged Uitli green towards,'t1i,: W o ; the lino«
on the upper mandible blackish-blue ; te bare space about the eye,
and that on the throat, blaekish-btuc. life white. Tarsi, foes, and
webs brownish-black, te -Maids <# tfaftoW sbfliéia on the tiiirWs and
COMMON GANXKT; m
toes light gTeenisli-bli»-; claws greyish-white The general c o t e of
thc-pluma^çe- is white-; temper part of the head, and the hmd neefc
of a tine, butf colour. Vrimary quill* brmvuish^kcki theii sWts white
'''îJ^oB' f'nfe^t.'®™ y ^ ^ ' a a B B f S . . . a
Length.to eniof « 40J inches, to end-of wifegs. 38t„ to end ot
qlaws, M^ e x t e n t of -wing» 75,a wipg ft',.m « « • m ï t ^ - «
along the ridge 4, along, the edge of lower mandible®; tarsffi2&i
first toe and; clawXi; middle toe. 3 t»n its outer t » ^ its
filaw-A, Weight 7 1!..
' The Female is similar to the male, but rather smaller
Yo'.rair fully iledged. Plate CC'CXXX'I. I'ig',2.
Hill light jvreyish.lir.nvn ; the bar(i spi«:« afoimd the: eye pale greyish
blue. ' Ms ¿réén. narrow bands of. seutelU pale
greyisl. blue : claivs greyish-white, ' The head, neck, and upper parts
are chocolate "brown, V h feather with a terminal narrow triangular
white spot, the lower parts greyïsï-white, spotted with greyish-brown ;
eaeK feather having a broad, terminal margin .ftf tHt/colour. The
'quills: and tail-feathers are brownish-black. An individual shot in Oc-.
tober Measured: as follows
Length to end of tail 38 inches, to end of claws 32i ; extent of
Win# 72. Weifek 31b -1 m. This individual, how.'ver, was very
poor.
! Three individuals slml. in the neighbourhood of Boston, Massaçhusetti:
presented th^'fellowmg dimensions, which are hère given as indicative
of the diiroreiKiC of size frequently observed :—
Length: to end of tail, 1- 38J • 383 . . m HH H
34-i 33.
Extent of wings, - • 734 '• ' ()8
Wing, from flefxure,. : H i I i i . m
An adult Male, killed near Boston, The cellular, tissue of the back
exhibits vacuities of very large size, intervening between the skin and
the muscles : one, at the lower, part of the neck behind, being 5 inches
in length; another 5J Inches long, extending from the furcula down