582 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



considerably forked, white at the base, with a broad 

 black band towards the end ; " the shafts of the first 

 six primaries brownish black at the base, becoming 

 gradually darker towards the extremity, where they 

 are black in the first three, but in the fourth, fifth 

 and sixth assimilate in colour to the feather at that 

 part, which is white ; the entire of the outer webs of 

 the first five black; the inner webs with a broad 

 edging of white, to within from one to two inches of 

 the end, which part is black in the first three, but 

 tipped with white in the fourth and fifth; in the 

 sixth the inner web is white, the outer black, ex- 

 cepting for three or four lines from the tip, where it 

 is white, and again about an inch from the end, 

 where a white spot of an oval form appears ; " * the 

 greater coverts of secondaries lead-colour, with deep 

 white tips; chin, throat and sides of the face and 

 neck wiiite ; breast white, clouded with ash-grey on 

 the sides ; the rest of the under parts white ; legs, 

 toes and webs flesh- colour. As to the full plumage, 

 in which state, I believe, it has never been taken 

 alive in England, Yarrell quotes Colonel Sabine as 

 follows : The bill one inch long, the base of both 

 mandibles black as far as the angular projection of 

 the under mandible, the remainder yellow ; the irides 

 dark, surrounded by a naked circle of bright ver- 

 milion ; a small white speck beneath the eye, scarcely 



** Yarrell, vol. iii., p. 552. 





