400 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



plumage of the males ; in winter plumage they are 

 more alike, and more like the females. I may add 

 that each individual appears to assume the same 

 coloured plumage each spring. 



In one of my specimens, a male in spring 

 plumage, the space between the beak and the eye is 

 rusty brown ; the top of the head ha} 7 ", with a few 

 dark spots; the ruff and ear-tufts very rich bay, 

 every feather tipped with a band of bright bluish 

 purple ; the back and scapulars the same rich bay 

 as the ruff, partially barred with bluish purple, a 

 few ash-grey feathers are intermixed, probably part 

 of the winter plumage which had not yet changed 

 colour ; the tertials the same as the back, but rather 

 paler; the wing- coverts ash-grey ; secondary quills 

 the same, with light margins ; both the upper and 

 under tail-coverts are white ; the tail much the same 

 as the tertials ; the breast and belly nearly the same 

 bay as the ruff, but rather lighter : there are a few 

 white feathers intermixed, especially on the belly, 

 these are probably (like the ash-grey ones in the 

 back) the remains of the winter plumage. The other 

 has the face and top of the head white, speckled with 

 buff and dusky ; the ruff white, tinged about the ear- 

 tufts with buff; the back and scapulars buffy white, 

 irregularly marked and speckled with black ; the 

 wing-coverts are ash-grey a few feathers appear to 

 be assuming some of the same markings as the back ; 

 the tertials and tail marked much the same as the 



