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
Head small, oblong. Eyes rather large. Neck of moderate length. Body
rather slender. Feet rather long and slender; tibia bare nearly half
its length, scutellate before and behind; tarsus also scutellate
before and behind; hind toe very small and elevated; fore toes rather
long, very slender, connected by basal webs, of which the outer is
much larger; second toe considerably shorter than fourth; all flat
beneath, and marginate. Claws small, slightly arched, much compressed,
rather sharp, that of the middle toe much larger, with the inner edge
considerably dilated.
Plumage very soft, blended, on the fore part of the head very short.
Wings long, narrow, pointed; primaries rather narrow and tapering,
first longest, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries short, broad,
incurved, obliquely rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail of
moderate length, much rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.
Bill greenish-olive above, yellow beneath, the point of both mandibles
black. Eye hazel. Feet pale yellowish flesh-colour, claws black. All
the upper parts shining deep brownish-olive, the head longitudinally
streaked, the back transversely barred, with black. A line from the
bill to the eye and beyond it white, another beneath it dusky. All
the lower parts white, marked with numerous brownish-black spots,
smaller on the throat, largest and roundish on the breast and sides.
Axillary feathers pure white, lower wing-coverts white mottled with
dusky. Quills brownish-black, glossed with green, the elongated inner
secondaries like the back; the primaries slightly tipped with white,
the secondaries, excepting the inner, more distinctly so, the white
forming on them a conspicuous band. Four middle tail-feathers like the
back, with a band of black at the end, the tip white; the next pair
on each side similar, with the white tip larger; the next barred with
dusky on the outer web; the lateral feather with the outer web white
similarly barred.
Length to end of tail 8 inches, to end of wings 7-1/2, to end of claws
8-1/2; extent of wings 13-3/4; wing from flexure 4-7/8; tail 2; bill
along the ridge 1; tarsus (10-1/2)/12; hind toe and claw (4-1/4)/12;
middle toe and claw 1-1/12.
Female. Plate CCCX. Fig. 2.
There is hardly any difference between the sexes.
The young in winter have the bill black at the end, dusky olive above,
yellow beneath; the feet yellowish flesh-colour. The lower parts are
brownish-white, without spots; the upper of the same brownish-olive as
in the adult, but the head and hind neck destitute of streaks, and the
rest with narrower and more numerous dusky bars.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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