MEKLTN. 51 



cheeks, and from tlience round the back of the neck, pale 

 reddish brown, also marked with dark streaks, forming a 

 collar ; the Avhole of the back and wing-coverts fine blue 

 grey,* the shaft of each feather forming a dark central line ; 

 wing-primaries pitch black ; upper surface of the tail-feathers 

 bluish grey over two-thirds of their length, with slight indi- 

 cations of three dark bands, the distal third nearly uniform 

 black, the tips of all the feathers white ; the chin and throat 

 white ; breast, belly, thighs, and under tail-coverts, rufous, 

 with brown central patches, and darker brown streaks ; under 

 surface of the tail-feathers barred with two shades of grey, a 

 broad dark terminal band, and white tips ; legs and toes yel- 

 low ; claws black. 



In the female, the top of the head, back, wing-coverts, and 

 secondaries are dark liver brown, the shaft of each feather 

 darker, the edge tipped with red ; the tail-feathers brown, 

 with five narrow transverse bars of wood brown ; under sur- 

 face of the body pale brownish white, with darker brown lon- 

 gitudinal patches; the beak, cere, eyes, legs, toes, and claws, 

 as in the male. Young males resemble the females ; and in 

 birds of the year, the wings do not reach so far towards the 

 end of the tail as in those that are adult. 



" The Elfin king, like the Merlin's wing, 

 Are his pinions of glossy blue." 



Lewis's Tales of Wonder. 



