96 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



summer, the plumage is as follows : Forehead and 

 a streak over the eyes white ; head, neck, hack and 

 scapulars greyish blue ; rump and tail-coverts white ; 

 from the base of the upper mandible is a black 

 streak which surrounds the eye, broadest beneath, 

 and includes the ear-coverts; wing-coverts and all 

 the quills black ; tail-feathers white to within about 

 half an inch of the tips, which are black ; the two 

 central feathers are black nearly to the base, which 

 is white ; throat, breast, and all the under parts 

 buff, lightest on the belly. 



The female is nearly the same as the male, but 

 the colouring not quite so distinct ; legs, toes and 

 claws black. After the autumnal moult the whole of 

 the upper parts are of a yellowish brown ; the wing- 

 coverts and tertials are margined with rusty : as far 

 as outward appearance goes there is not a vestige of 

 the greyish blue of the spring. I have in my col- 

 lection one killed here on its first arrival in the 

 spring, in which specimen a few of the greyish blue 

 feathers of the back and scapulars have some slight 

 remains of autumnal yellowish brown margins. 



The egg of the Wheatear is a light blue in some 

 specimens quite plain, and in some slightly speckled 

 with rusty : it is rather larger than the egg of either 

 of the two last species. 



GRASSHOPPER WARBLER, Salicaria locustella. The 

 Grasshopper Warbler is probably rather more com- 

 mon than is usually supposed, its sombre colours 



