BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 283 



and passes over the eye and ear-coverts, and onward 

 to the back of the head; a second commences in 

 the front corner of the eye, passes under it, and 

 ends behind the ear-coverts. All the feathers 

 between these two lines are of a rich glossy green ; 

 back of lower part of neck, scapulars, and upper 

 part of back, waved or barred with narrow transverse 

 black and white lines ; lower part of back shaded 

 with dark brown ; wings dark brown, beautifully 

 barred with a patch of glossy green and a line of 

 white ; upper tail-coverts nearly black, edged with 

 reddish-brown ; tail feathers pointed and brown ; 

 lower half of neck, in front, pale purplish-white, 

 spotted with black ; breast and belly dusky white ; 

 sides and flanks barred with fine wavy lines of 

 black and white ; under tail-coverts velvet black ; 

 legs, toes, and webs greyish-brown. 



The female is much subdued in coloration ; her 

 head is light brown, speckled with a darker tint 

 of the same colour ; the green spangle on the wing 

 is velvety black ; back dark brown, the feathers 

 being edged with a lighter tinge of the same colour ; 

 breast and under parts dull white, spotted with 

 dark brown. The male assumes female plumage 

 about the end of July. 



Situation and Locality. On the ground amongst 

 rushes, sedges, heath, and coarse grass, near lakes 

 and small sluggish streams, in mountain swamps, 

 by pools and tarns, and in moss bogs. In nearly 

 all suitable districts throughout the British Isles, 

 perhaps scarcest in the south. Our illustration 

 was procured near a famous mere in Norfolk. 



Materials. Dried sedges, flags, rushes, reeds, and 

 grass, lined with down from the bird's own body. 



Eggs. Eight to fifteen, usually nine or ten ; 

 huffish or creamy white, sometimes very faintly 



