COMMON LAPWING. 285 



surrounding- the black crown there is a circle of 

 yellowish-white, and under each eye, the auricu- 

 lars, and a patch on the side of the neck, pure 

 white, forming an irregularly oval spot of that 

 colour ; the nape is hair-brown, and the back and 

 wings are pale glossy olive-green, having bright 

 blue and purple reflections on the shoulders of a 

 much deeper tint, and there reflected with steel- 

 blue ; the lower part of the back is also olive, ter- 

 minated by a narrow band of chestnut ; the quills 

 are black, the third and fourth longest, the three 

 first tipped with greyish-white ; the belly and vent 

 are pure white ; the under tail-coverts pale chest- 

 nut-red ; the tail comparatively short, is rich black, 

 with a narrow white tip, and having a brcid basal 

 white band ; the outer feather only is pure white, 

 with a greyish black spot near the tip of the outer 

 web ; legs are purplish-red. In a female shot at 

 the same time with the above described male, in 

 full breeding state, the throat and chin were white ; 

 the dark crown, and marking between the eye and 

 the bill, of a deep hair-brown ; the crest about one 

 half the length ; a little less brilliancy marked the 

 other parts of the plumage. In winter the dress is 

 nearly in this state, there being no black on the 

 chin or throat, and on the back and shoulders the 

 feathers are all narrowly tipped with yellowish- 

 white. The young have the upper plumage still 

 more tipped with the same colour, or of a more 

 ochreous tint. 



