scutella, the anterior with large angulose scales; the tarsus behind
has a double longitudinal series of knobs., before it is covered
with oblique scutella ; the enemidia, that is, the low<w. part of
the naked tibia, are squamnlose ; the toes scutulate, and warty
beneath : the 'nails are' moderate, .arcuated, aenté. j thé hind nail
is rather the smallest : the. middle is the largest, and dilates
internally into a sharp edge, perfectly entire, and by no means,
pectinated, any opinions or statements to the .oontrary notwith:
standing.
The body is compressed, but fleshy : the neck cylindrical and
slender; the face and lora entirely feathered. When it is stated
that some specimens have these parts hare, it is because t)ie other
Giiarauna, which is an Ibis, has been confounded with it. The'
tail is moderate, scarcely sixinches long, plane, broad, rounded,
and composed of twelve broad feathery..
: • Thé. wings are twelve, and a„ half inches long, ample, and
rpunded-obtuse the first quill is moderately Jong; and equhl with
the eighth, and by more than two inchesShorter than the.second,
which is equal to the sixth ; it is peculiarly shaped, narrower at
base than at tip* where.it. is very blunt : the thrird is the longest
of all, being however but little longer than the fourth..
The fçàthérs pf tfle : neck afb short, -and. rather narrow : thbse-:
of thepb.ody.and ^^^ypntsVarq;ronQ<i^;-^;ihpih;m'àr^h8ÿ: and
sOft,and ^enseV the;.ihfèrior àre -somewhat- loose on their borders.
Therë is nio naked place on. the sides of the breast, as in the
Herons. The geùerâl coloùy of the .Couirlan is a deep chocolate
brown-, or fuscous sooty hue, reigning all over the bird : thé
feathers are howéver paler on their margins, and there is on each
from the base along the middle, including the shaft, with the
exception of the tip, a large, broad lanceolate, pure white spot.
(In the Ibis Gmrauna, the; white occupies the margin instead
of the middle of-the feathers.) "This whitè.spot is larger in
SCOLOPACEOUS COURLAX. 117
proportion to the size of the feather,-so that it is more conspicuous
on the wing-coverts, both upper and under, especially as on
the back, not reaching- to the tip, it is mostly concealed by the
overlapping of the 'feathers: on the laYger^o verts, however, it
consists of a mere streak, as well as o n . a few of the lower
tail-cöverts • and femorals: generally speaking* however, these
parts,, as well as the rump, upper and lower tail-coverta, Outer
large wing-ooverts, vent, all -the'‘quills, and tail-feathers are
unspotted, and of a bright chocolate brown,-with even a greenish
gloss, darker, and with purplish reflections on the quills and tail:
the contrary, bn the head and neck all round," th-0 brown
colour is paler and duller, and as the feathers are bn. these parts
much smaller, the more extended white longitudinal, spots are
more closely set, producing, a thickly striated appearance. Oh
the crown and cheeks thé white is moreover neither sb pure nor
well defined, which, together with the much less intense grouhd
colour* gives these parts a rufous gray look: the throat is entirely
whitish.
The sexes present no difference, and the Young sbon put on
the adult plumage.
VOL. i v .— Gr g