| OCR Text |
Show 622 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON THE [Nov. 17, Hind neck indistinctly ashy Hind neck decidedly ashy grey, grey. contrasting with head. Lower back and rump same Lower back and rump entirely as rest of upper surface, and uniform isabelline, with no shaft-streaked in the same manner. streaks. Upper tail-coverts dark brown, Upper tail-coverts light ash-with rufescent margins. colour, paler than the tail, and margined with whitish. Upper wing-coverts and quills Upper wing-coverts and quills dark brown, with broad rufous brown, broadly margined with margins. pale sandy, shading off into white on the margins. Ear-coverts deep rufous, with Ear-coverts very pale sandy. slight fulvous shaft-streaks. Cheeks and throat white, with Cheeks and throat pure white, a few black spots. unspotted. Under surface of body isabel- Under surface of body white, line, with vinous tinge on flanks ; with a few triangular spots of breast broadly streaked with dusky black on the breast. black. Under wing-coverts deep isa- Under wing-coverts very pale belline vinous. isabelline sand-colour. Male. Differs from the female in having a very much larger bill, and in being generally larger than his mate. This fact I can establish satisfactorily by five carefully sexed specimens shot by Mr. T. C. Atmore and the late Mr. Andersson. These are marked all males by their collectors, and measure as follows :- Total length. in. 7-6 7*2 8*0 culm. in. 0*95 09 0*95 wing. in. 4*15 4*1 4*25 tail. in. 3*4 325 3*6 tarsus. in. 1*05 1*1 1*15 1. S, Colesberg (T. C. Atmore).. 2. d, Eland's Post (T. C. Atmore) 3. 3, Nonnberg (T. C. Atmore). . 4. 3, Great Namaqua Land (C.J. Andersson) 7*8 0*95 4*4 3*5 1*1 5. S, Tjobis, Damara Land (C. J. Andersson) 7*9 ,.. 4*35 3*45 1*15 A specimen (not sexed) collected in Benguela by Mr. Monteiro is also in the Museum. It differs from any of the others before me in not having the vinous or isabelline tint clearly developed, the upper surface being ashy brown, with distinct shaft-lines. The under surface is entirely white, with a few small triangular streaks of blackish on the chest. It measures as follows:-Total length 7*2 inches, culmen 0*9, wing 3*95, tail 3*15, tarsus 1*05; and I think it is very probably a young bird. It appears therefore from the foregoing measurements that the female averages from 3-65-3-75 inches in length of wing, and |
