72 TELL-TALE GOD WIT.
, Adult male, Plate CCCVUI. Fig 1.
Bill much longer than the head, verysleiMÎeriSubcylindrical, straight,
flexible, compressed at ,the base, the point rather depressed and obtuse.
Tipper mandible-with the dorsal line straight, the ridge convex, broader
at the, base, beyond the nostrils blended with the sides, which are convex,
the edges xjiick, with a groove running their whole, length, the
tip slightly deflected. Lower mandible with the angle; ^e(|f long and
narrow, the dorsal line straight, the sides convex, with a slight groove
in their basal half, the sides convex, the edges grooved longitudinally,
the tip narrow. Nasal groove long and narrow, extending to nearly
half the length of the bill; nostrils basal, linear, direct, pervious.
Head of moderate size, oblong,- c.ouipr.es..st!(l, eyes large. . Nock rallier
long and slender. liodyjslender. Knot- very long and .slender;
tibia bare for half its length, soutollato before and behind, tarsus
compressed, also scutellaté before and behind ; hind loe very small arid
elevated ¡.fore toes of moderate length, very slender, corin'oi'lod al the
by webs, of which the|Outer is larger; second or inner toe considerably
shorter than fourth, which is in a .similar degree exceeded by
the third; all covered with numerous scutella above, tlattoncil beiièat,4Siand
marginale. (.'laws small, slightly arched, much compressed, rather
obtuse, that of the middle, toe much larger; with the inner edge dilated.
Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of thé head very short.
Wings long, narrow, pointed ; primaries narrow and tapering," first
longest, second a little shorter, the rest.rapidly graduated ; secondaries
short, broad:, incurved, obliquely rounded, 1ho inner elongated and tapering.
Tail; ¡short, ^doubly emarginate in a slight degree, of t»jS|ve
rounded feathers.
Hill black, tinged with bluish-grey at the base. Iris dark brown.
Feet bright yellow, claws brownish-black, 1'pper part of the head,
lores, chocks, and the ueck all round, excepting -the throat, streaked
with brownish-black, on a white, ground,, tinged with grey on^jirgihead
and hind neck; the throat, breast,..and abdomen?• are pure white,
the sides and lower tail-coverts barred with brownish-black, as are the
axillar leathers and lower wing-coverts, the. lower surface of the primaries
light grey, their shafts white. The upper parts (generally are
black, glossed with green, each feather margined with white triangular
spots, The hind part of the rump and the upper tail-coverts
white, barred with dusky.^ The anterior smaller wing-éflverts, alula,
TELL-TALE GOD WIT. 73
primary OOVerts, and primary quills, brownish-black, without spots ;
shaft of first primary white, of the rest brown. Tail-feathers white,
with numerous bands of dark greyish-brown, the middle six feathers
more or less' of a light brownish-grey toward the end, the bars not extending
over their central part, their tips white,, Length to end of
tail 14 inches, te end of wings 14, to end of claws 16 ; extent of wings
24! ;• bill along the ridge '¿¡\, along the iê,lfp of the lower mandible
2 A, wifig from flexure §1% S tail 3 ft ; bare part of tibia U ; tarsus 2 A ;
hind toe and claw ft ; middle toe and claw 1 f»4. Weight & oz-
Adult Female. Plate CCCVUI. Fig, 2.
. The female resembles the male.
Length to end of tail liif, to end of wings 114, to end ol' claws
.173 ; extent of wings 25j. Weight 6f oz.
Both sexes become darker»»», the upper parts, at the approach of
spring. - This dark colour disappears after their: autumnal moult.
The tongue is l f t inch, in length, .«lender, sagittate and papillate at
the base, triangular, tapering to a fine point. On the. roof of the mouth
are two rows of largo blunt papilla: directed backwards ; the edges
of the mandibles are thick and grooved ; the posterior aperture of the
nares linear, ft long. The «esophagus, 6 | inches in length, passes
along the right side of the neck, and has a diameter, of $ of an inch in
'its,upper part, but is dilated to ft before, it enters the thorax. The
proveKtriculus is oblong, ft in length, its glandules oblong. The stomach
is: oblong, l f t inch in length, ft in breadth, its lateral muscles of
;
dmoderate size, the tendons ft' in diameter, the cuticular lining hard,
with large: longitudinal rugoe, and of a deep recoiour. The intestine
2 feet 8 inches(ft!ng,, varying:in diameter from ft to ft. The rectum
lft inch long ; the.,««» 4 "inches ft long, of an oblong form, with
the extremity rounded, their diameter ft.
In another individual,#®he;oesophagus is 6è inches long; the stomach
I B M intestine 2 feet .3 inches ; the rectum HM the coeca {®jU
their diameter ft,,
The. : trachea, 4ft inches long, ft in diameter above, ft below ; of
120 unossified rings ; its.contractor muscles feeble, the sterno-tracheal
moderate; a single pair ,of inferior laryngeal; the bronchial rings
about 15.