868 BIRDS OP SOMERSETSHIRE. 



much like that of the Curlew : " in the adult bird it 

 is dark purple-brown ; the lore and the naked skin 

 around the eyes olive-green, tinged with grey ; the 

 irides hazel ; the head, neck all round, and the inter- 

 scapulars deep reddish brown; wing-coverts and 

 tertials dark maroon-brown, with brilliant green and 

 purple reflections ; wing-primaries dark brownish 

 black, tinged with green ; tail-feathers brownish 

 black, tinged with purple; breast, sides and belly 

 deep reddish brown, like the neck ; the under sur- 

 face of the wings, the flanks and under tail- coverts 

 dark brown ; legs and toes green ; claws olive -brown. 

 In the young birds the head, cheeks and upper part 

 of the neck behind are dull clove-brown, intermixed 

 with short hair-like streaks of greyish white ; on the 

 throat, in front, one and sometimes more patches of 

 dull greyish white placed rather transversely; the 

 whole of the body above and below, the wings and 

 the tail dull uniform hair-brown, with very little of 

 the glossy tints observable in older birds." This 

 description is taken from Yarrell. 



The eggs are said to be of a pale green.* 



This bird, the last of the British Ardeidce, makes 

 a sort of link between that family and the large 

 family of Scolopacidse, the next in succession, and 

 as far as the formation of the beak goes it cer- 



* Meyer s ' British Birds,' vol. iv., p. 188. 



