332 O F B I R D S. 



of the wings extended about ten inches ; the body flender, and 

 the head fmall. The beak is half an inch long, flender, and 

 fharp at the point ; the tip of the tongue jagged ; the iris of the 

 eyes a hazel-colour. The upper plumage is black and a yel- 

 lowifh-green, with a cafl of grey, in elegant variegations ; the 

 rump of a yellowifh-green ; the throat and belly white ; the 

 breafl and fides under the wings a yellowifti- white, fpotted with 

 black. The tail is near three inches long, compofed of twelve 

 feathers, variegated with a yellowim-green, brown, and white. 

 The legs and feet are yellow. It makes its nefl among brufli- 

 wood and furz, of mofs, ftraw, and horfe-hair. It is a merry 

 active bird, fmgs upon trees; its note like the canary bird's, 

 but fhorter, and not fo varioufly modulated. If preferved in a 

 cage with care, it is hardy and long-lived, not fubject to colds, 

 or cramps. In its diet, if a neftling, it muft be treated like a 

 nightingale ; if an old one, like a woodlark. Its natural food in 

 the woods are beetles, and their hexapod-worms, and other 

 infects. 



33. The Ruticilla, or the fmall Red/} art, Red-Tall, Fire-Tail, or Star- 

 Finch (I), a beautiful fong-bird, entertains us all fummer, and 

 difappears on the approach of winter. The beak is black and 

 flender, the eyes of a hazel-colour ;. the throat and fides of the 

 head under the eyes black, with a white fpot above the eyes j 

 the upper plumage "a bright grey j the breafl, rump, and tail, 

 red. The tail is two inches and a half long. The tongue is 

 bifid. The legs are black. It meafures nine inches between the 

 tips of the wings extended. It makes its neft in old walls and 

 hollow trees, and lives upon the fame kind of food as the titlark. 



(I) Ruticilla. Will. Orn. p. 159. Raj. Av. p. 78. n. 5. Charlet. Av. p. 97. n. 10. Mo- 

 tacillagula nigra, abdominc rufo, capite dorfoque cano. Linn, p'aun. Suec. p. 84. n. 224. 



It 



