336 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
edged with white; there is an indistinct light streak 
over the eye; ear-coverts dull light dusky; back 
and scapulars lightish dusky, each feather tipped 
and edged with white; the lesser wing-coverts have 
more white on them; the greater wing-coverts are 
light dusky, regularly margined with white; tertials 
dusky, marked with dull dirty white and white; the 
rest of the quills nearly black, with white shafts to 
the feathers; rump and tail-coverts white, with a 
few dark dusky markings; tail barred black and 
white; chin white; throat and sides of the neck 
spotted with dull dusky and white; breast lighter, 
but marked nearly like the back; rest of the under 
parts, except the axillary plume (which is always 
black), white; legs, toes and claws black. This 
description is taken from one shot in the middle of 
January. Another shot at Burnham, in December, 
has the markings on the back more distinct, nearly 
black and white, but the white occasionally mixed 
with yellow; there is notso much light dusky on the 
breast, the feathers being only streaked in the 
centre with that colour; the feathers on the flanks 
have very narrow light dusky streaks in the centre. 
From the yellow mixed with some of the white 
markings this would appear to be a younger bird 
than the one first described. The breeding-season 
plumage differs in having the front and sides of the 
neck, the breast and belly, black; the markings of the 
upper parts are more distinctly black and white. 
