388 RUSTICOLA SYLVESTRIS. 



The bill is flesh-colour, tinged with bluish-grey, becoming 

 dusky toward the end ; the feet livid flesh-colour ; the claws 

 brown. The plumage, which is intricately coloured, may be 

 described as variegated on the upper parts with blackish, 

 brown, chestnut-red, grey, and pale brownish-yellow\ The 

 forehead is grey or yellowish-grey ; the upper and hind part 

 of the head very deep brown or blackish-brown, with three 

 transverse narrow pale red bands. There is a distinct 

 blackish-brown loral band. The sides and fore part of the 

 neck are light yellowish-brown, fading on the breast, and 

 changing on the abdomen into pale yellowish-grey ; all with 

 narrow transverse bars of dusky brown ; the lower wing- 

 coverts and axillar feathers similar. On the lower part of 

 the side of the neck is a large patch of blackish-brown ; the 

 wing-coverts are chestnut-red, barred with grey and dusky ; 

 the rump and upper tail-coverts of a lighter red, also barred 

 with dusky. Primary quills, their coverts, and the alula 

 brownish-black, barred on the outer web with triangular 

 spots of light red, paler or whitish, and often continuous, on 

 the first quill, and on the inner web marginally barred with 

 paler red. The first primary covert stiff and pointed. Tail- 

 feathers brownish-black, marginally barred with red, and 

 having a large round terminal spot, which is grey above and 

 white beneath. 



Length to end of tail 13^ inches ; extent of wings 24 ; 

 wing from the flexure 7^ ; bill along the ridge 1-fV ; tarsus 

 1-j^- ; hind toe y 5 ¥ , its claw -^ ; middle toe 1 T 4 ¥ , its claw -fa. 



Female. — Larger than the male ; similarly coloured, but 

 with little or no grey on the back ; the lower parts of a 

 redder tint ; the outer web of the first quill barred in its 

 whole extent. 



Length to end of tail 14^ inches ; extent of wings 25 ; 

 wing from flexure 8j ; bill along the ridge 2 T 8 7 ; tarsus 1-fV; 

 hind toe -fa, its claw T ' Y ; middle toe 1^, its claw -fe, 



Variations. — Individuals vary considerably in the tints 

 of their plumage. Some have been seen of a yellowish-grey 

 colour, faintly mottled with darker ; and others with v\ hite 



