954 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
eggs are deposited, little or no real nest being 
made. 
This is a very pretty bright little bird; the beak 
is black; the irides reddish hazel: forehead imme- 
diately over the beak dull white ; cheeks, ear-coverts 
and a streak over the eye, white; top of the head 
scarlet, a narrow streak between the scarlet and the 
white over the eye to the back of the neck, and the 
back of the neck, black; a broad black streak 
extends across the back and includes part of the 
scapulars and lesser wing-coverts; the rest of the 
back is white, barred with black; the tail-coverts are 
black; the quill-feathers are nearly black, barred 
with white; the four centre tail-feathers are black, 
and not quite so pointed as in the last two species; 
the next feather on each side is tipped with white 
and the two outside feathers on each side are white, 
barred with black; throat and all the under surface 
dull greyish white ; legs, toes and claws lead-colour. 
The top of the head in the female is a dullish white, 
without any red feathers, and the under surface 1s 
dull light brown. The young male birds assume the 
red colour on the top of the head during the first 
moult. 
The eggs are a uniform white when blown, but 
when fresh taken have a sort of flesh-colour tint, 
owing to the yelk showing through; they are, of 
course, much smaller than those of the last-men- 
tioned species, 
