Ornithological biography, Vol. 4 (of 5) : $b An account of the habits of the birds of the United States of AmericaAudubon, John James
Science
Ornithological biography, Vol. 4 (of 5) : $b An account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America
Audubon, John James
Birds -- North America
Bill shorter than the head, slender, compressed towards the end,
straight, with the tips curved. Upper mandible with the nostrils
forming a tube at the base, beyond which, for a short space, the dorsal
line is nearly straight, then suddenly decurved, the sides declinate,
the edges sharp, the tip compressed and acute. Lower mandible with the
angle rather long, narrow, and pointed, the dorsal line beyond it very
slightly concave and decurved, the sides erect, the edges sharp, the
tip slightly decurved.
Head of moderate size, roundish, anteriorly narrowed. Neck short. Body
rather slender. Feet of moderate length, very slender; tibia bare at
its lower part; tarsus very slender, reticulate; hind toe extremely
minute, being reduced, as it were, to a slightly decurved claw;
anterior toes rather long and extremely slender, obscurely scutellate
above, connected by striated webs with concave margins. Claws slender,
arched, compressed, acute.
Plumage very soft, blended, the feathers distinct only on the wings,
which are very long and narrow; primary quills tapering, but rounded,
the second longest, the first three and a half twelfths, the third
a twelfth and a half shorter; secondaries short, the outer incurved,
obliquely rounded. Tail rather long, broad, slightly rounded, of twelve
broad rounded feathers.
Bill and feet black. Iris dark brown. The general colour of the upper
parts is greyish-black, with a tinge of brown, and moderately glossed;
the lower parts of a sooty brown; the secondary coverts margined
externally with dull greyish-white; the feathers of the rump and the
upper tail-coverts white, with the shafts black, the tail-coverts
broadly tipped with black.
Length to end of tail 5-3/4 inches, to end of claws 5-1/4, to end of
wings 6-1/4; extent of wings 13-1/2; wing from flexure 5-1/8; tail
2-1/8; bill above (4-1/2)/8, along the edge of lower mandible 5/8;
tarsus 7/8; middle toe and claw 7/8; outer toe nearly equal; inner toe
and claw (5-1/2)/8. Weight 4-1/2 drachms; the individual poor.
Adult Female. Plate CCCXL. Fig. 2.
The Female resembles the male.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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