408 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
coverts a streak of pale brown; forehead and top of 
the head rich dark brown, divided along the middle 
line from before backwards by a pale brown stripe ; 
neck all round pale brown, the centre of each feather 
darker brown; interscapulars, scapulars and back 
rich brownish black, with central lines and broad 
margins of rich buff or fawn-colour; lesser wing- 
coverts nearly black; the upper series tipped with 
pale brown, the lower series tipped with white ; 
great coverts black, tipped with white; primary 
quill-feathers dull greyish black, with white shafts ; 
secondaries dull black, tipped with white; tertials 
black, barred and streaked with pale brown; rump 
very dark brown, edged with pale brown; upper 
tail-coverts pale yellow-brown, varied with dark 
brown; tail-feathers sixteen, the four on each out- 
side nearly all white, the others rich brownish black 
over three-fourths of their length from the base, 
then a patch of chesnut, bounded by a circle of 
black and tipped with white; chin pale yellow- 
brown; breast and sides of the body with half- 
circular bands of brownish black or pale brown; 
belly and vent pale brownish white; legs and toes 
greenish brown; claws black.” ‘The legs and toes 
seem subject to some variation in colour,* as Yarrell 
says he has seen them in fresh-killed birds of a livid 
* Meyer has coloured them flesh-colour and described 
them as olivaceous-grey : Montagu describes them as black. 
