Head large, oblong, compressed. Eyes large. Neck long. Body slender, much compressed. Feet long, moderately stout; tibia bare at its lower part, with reticular angular scales; tarsus covered anteriorly for more than half its length with scutella, over the rest of its extent with angular scales; toes long and rather slender, with numerous scutella above, flat beneath, marginate; hind toe stout, fourth a little longer than second, third much longer. Claws of moderate size, arched, compressed, acute, that of middle toe beautifully pectinate on the inner edge. Plumage loose, soft, and blended; feathers on the upper part of the head lanceolate and acuminate, those on the occiput very long, linear, forming a pendant crest, which however is capable of being erected; on the sides of the neck oblong, and directed obliquely backwards; on the fore part of the back ovate-oblong; on the lower part generally very long and loose. Between the scapulæ are two longitudinal series of very elongated feathers, with loose margins, the longest extending far beyond the end of the tail. Wings long, of great breadth, rounded; the primaries broad and rounded, the third longest, the second and fourth nearly equal, the first half an inch shorter than the longest, the rest slowly graduated; secondaries very broad, rounded, the inner elongated, some of them nearly as long as the outer primaries when the wing is closed. Tail short, even, of twelve broad, rounded feathers. Bill black. Iris reddish-orange; margins of eyelids and bare space in front of the eye, dull yellowish-green. Tibia, upper part of the tarsus, its hind part, and the soles, bright yellow; the scutella and scales, the fore part of the tarsus, the toes, and the claws, black. Upper part of the head pale reddish-yellow in front, white behind, of which colour are most of the elongated crest feathers, as well as an oblong patch extending from the corner of the mouth, beneath, to behind the ear. The rest of the head, and a small portion of the neck all round, bluish-black; that colour extending nearly half-way down the neck behind. The rest of the neck all round, as well as the upper and lower surface of the body, light greyish-blue; the feathers of the fore part of the back, and wings, having their central parts bluish-black, which is also the case with the elongated loose feathers, the dark part margined with bluish-white. Alular, primary coverts, and primary quills, dark bluish-grey; secondaries and tail-feathers of a lighter tint.