22 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



tips to the quills and the upper tail-coverts ; ciown of hea< 

 pale grey ; on the sides of the neck a broad collar of buff 

 under surface of body white, with a tinge of buff on the thro; 

 and fore-neck ; under wing-coverts buff; bill blackish, with the 

 base of the lower mandible pale yellow ; feet leaden-grey ; iris 

 dark brown. Total length, 16 inches; culmen, 1*2 ; wing, 8*5 

 tail, 8-8; tarsus, 1-3. 



Adult Female. Similar to the male, but with a good deal 

 chestnut on the quills, which appears to vanish with age, 

 that there is at last no difference between the sexes, beyoi 

 that the female is a little smaller. Total length, 15 inches 

 wing, 7-7. 



Young. Resembles the adult, but always has the greater 

 of the quills chestnut ; the throat is darker and more rufoi 

 and the fore-part of the head is black. 



Range in Great Britain. Has occurred twice in the Briti; 

 Isles, once in Ireland in 1842, when a specimen was cam 

 alive in March of that year. It was found in an emaciate 

 condition on the Island of Omey, off the coast of Connemai 

 Mr. Howard Saunders says that the specimen, which is now 

 in the Museum of Trinity College, Dublin, is in immature 

 plumage, which fact accounts for the caution of his statement, 

 that it was captured probably in March 1842. A second 

 example is in the Newcastle Museum, and was shot near 

 Bellingham in Northumberland on the 5th of August, 1870. 



Range outside the British Islands. Principally a Mediterranean 

 species, arriving in Southern Spain early in March and leaving 

 in the first days of August. It has occurred accidentally in 

 Northern Germany, Southern France, and Northern Italy, 

 and to most of the Mediterranean countries, as far east as 

 Asia Minor, it is a regular visitor. Its farthest eastern range 

 appears to be Northern Persia. It is a resident bird and nests 

 i i Egypt and North-western Africa, but the only known breed- 

 ing place within strictly European limits, is the southern hall 

 of Spain, where Mr. Howard Saunders has found it nesting as 

 far north as Madrid. It is also a visitor to the Canary Islands. 

 In winter it migrates to Senegambia and the Gold Coast, and 

 also visits Southern Africa. 



Habits. Like the other members of this Family, the Great 



