Male in Spring. Plate CCCXLIV. Fig. 1.

Bill much longer than the head, very slender, subcylindrical, very slightly decurved, compressed at the base, the end rather depressed, considerably enlarged. Upper mandible with the dorsal line almost straight, being very slightly decurved towards the end, the ridge narrow, convex, flattened towards the tip, the sides sloping, with a narrow groove extending nearly to the end, the edges rather blunt and soft, the tip decurved. Nostrils basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and very narrow, the dorsal line straight, towards the end slightly deflected, the sides sloping outwards, with a long narrow groove, the tip a little broader.

Head small, oblong, compressed. Eyes small. Neck rather long. Body slender. Feet long, very slender; tibia bare for an inch; tarsus long, slender, compressed, covered before and behind with numerous small scutella; hind toe very small, the rest of moderate length, slender, the second very slightly longer than the fourth, the third very little longer; short basal webs, running out along the margins, that between the third and fourth toes larger. Claws rather long, very slender, slightly arched, tapering, compressed.

Plumage very soft, blended; the feathers somewhat distinct on the back. Wings very long, pointed; primaries tapering, the first longest, the second slightly shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; outer secondaries slightly incurved, obliquely sinuate on the outer web towards the end, the inner web rounded; inner secondaries very narrow, tapering, reaching to three-fourths of an inch of the longest primary when the wing is closed. Tail of moderate length, nearly even, but with the two middle feathers exceeding the rest by two and a half twelfths of an inch, of twelve narrow, rounded feathers.

Bill black. Iris brown. Feet dull yellowish-green, claws black. The upper parts are brownish-black, the feathers margined with reddish-white, the edges of the scapulars with serriform markings of the same; rump and upper tail-coverts white, transversely barred with dusky; tail light grey, the feathers white at the base and along the middle. Primary quills and their coverts brownish-black, the inner tinged with grey, the shaft of the outer primary white, secondaries brownish-grey, margined with reddish-white, the inner dusky. A broad whitish line over the eye; loral band dusky; auriculars pale brownish-red; fore part and sides of neck, greyish-white, tinged with red, and longitudinally streaked with dusky; the rest of the lower parts pale reddish-brown, transversely barred with dusky; the middle of the breast and the abdomen without markings. Dimensions of five individuals.

Length to end of tail,83/481/473/4871/2
................................wings,91/483/881/283/483/4
................................claws,111/4105/810101/2107/8
Extent of wings,163/416151/21716
Weight of an individual,23/4 oz.

Female. Plate CCCXLIV. Fig. 2.

The female is considerably larger, but otherwise resembles the male. Dimensions of five individuals.

Length to end of tail,101/21191/4103/481/2
................................wings,11103/4113/4111/2101/8
................................claws,131/4121/2111/2123/4113/4
Extent of wings,18161/2167/8161/2173/4
Weight of two individuals, 4 oz., 3 3/4 oz.

The winter plumage differs considerably; the bill, iris, and feet, are as above. The upper parts are brownish-grey, the head narrowly streaked with dusky; the rump as in summer; the scapulars plainly margined with whitish; the quills as in summer. The band over the eye lighter, the loral space grey; the fore part and sides of the neck greyish-white, longitudinally streaked with grey, the sides similar, and with the lower tail-coverts barred with grey, the rest of the lower parts white.