OCR Text |
Show 428 THE MARQUIS OF TWEEDDALE ON BATRACHOSTOMUS. [May 15, which are bright rufous ; above the white mark a narrow dark brown line which separates the white of the V-mark from the white bases of the lateral webs, these forming a narrow white margin to the shaft, which is white ; below the white V-mark another dark brown separating line, remainder of the webs grey or greyish brown : with each feather the extent and outline of the white markings slightly varies; but taken together a white irregular demicollar is formed, which is partly concealed by the rufous tips of its constituent feathers. Springing from below this collar and from the sides of the upper breast are many elongated bright rufous plumes, bearing a pure white ocellum about the middle of each. These ocelli are separated from the rufous colour of each feather by a narrow but distinct dark brown encircling line. Below these breast-feathers is another series traversing the lower breast and upper abdomen ornamented in a similar manner; but the spots are larger, and elongated rather than round, and on each side of the shaft above the drop the webs at their base are white ; the white spots on the lower abdominal feathers are fewer in number, smaller in size, and more irregular in form. As on the throat, all these white markings are much concealed by the overlapping of the rufous tips and margins. Some of the scapulars have a long bold white centre, separated from the rufous by a narrow dark brown line. On the shorter scapulars the white mark is small; and on the longer scapulars the white only occupies the outer half of the feather. Several of the nuchal feathers are traversed by a pure white band, which is bounded above and below by a narrow dark brown line, the tips of the feathers being rufous. The unexposed inner webs of all the quills are uniform brown above, paler underneath. The outer webs of the primaries are pale rufous, with a few narrow transverse brown marks. Excepting the first and second primaries the pale rufous colour of the outer webs continues round the tips of the quills onto the inner webs, slightly increasing in extent with each quill. Underneath, the outer webs, are also pale rufous, the brown marks hardly showing through. The shafts above are rufous brown, below pale rufous or yellowish rufous. The groundcolour of the rectrices is a dull rufous, of a somewhat darker hue than that of the tertiaries. They are traversed at almost equal intervals by a series of some seven or eight obscure ill-defined darker rufous or brownish-rufous bands, margined above and below by a narrow irregular zigzag darker brown line. On the outer rectrices these dark lines are broader, and the interspaces are darker brown. The basal half of the inner webs of the rectrices (middle pair excepted) is cut into with white or tawny white. The short outermost pair have a white or tawny spot on both webs and another higher up. The second outer pair have two tawny white marks on the outer web. Under surface of rectrices pallid rufous, the dark bauds showing through. Under tail-coverts yellowish white, some tipped and otherwise marked with rufous. Thigh-coverts tawny. Axillaries grey tipped with rufous. Under wing-coverts mixed grey, rufous, and tawny white. The stiff elongated narial and frontal bristles are tawny rufous tipped black. The bill is massive and typical. |