390 INSECTIVOILE. 



given to others of the genus,) is a woodland bird, very general 

 in all parts of Britain where trees abound, but rare on the 

 open champaigns, and unknown in the open wastes. It is 

 bright and well marked in its plumage, handsome in its form, 

 and brisk and lively in its manners ; and altogether one of 

 the most easily distinguished, most beautiful, and most ener- 

 getic, of our forest birds. 



When full grown, its length is about five inches and a half, 

 the extent of its wings about eight and a quarter, and its 

 weight about an ounce and a quarter. Its air has a consider- 

 able resemblance to that of the magpie ; but its motions are 

 much quicker. The bill is stouter and more produced than 

 that of any of the other species ; both mandibles are curved 

 in their outline, and the upper one is very strong at the 

 tip. 



The bill and claws are black ; the latter strong in propor- 

 tion to the size of the bird, and the hind claw is long and 

 strong, and much crooked. The irides are black, and the feet 

 and toes blackish-grey. The colours are black, olive green, 

 bluish-grey, sulphur yellow, and white, rich in their tints, 

 glossed with reflections in the male bird, and disposed in the 

 following manner : the head and throat, as far as the middle 

 of the neck, glossy black with some purple reflections, and 

 the black continued in a mesial line down the under part, as 

 far as the lower part of the belly. A bright white patch on 

 each check, pointed at the gape, passing under the eye, and 

 rounded at the other extremity, but with the black forming 

 a sort of collar beyond them on the sides of the neck. A 

 patch of pure white on the nape. The back and shoulders 

 olive green, passing into bluish-grey on the rump and the 

 tail and wing coverts. The greater coverts with white tips, 

 which form a bar across the wing. Quills deep greenish- 

 grey, the primaries edged with greenish-white, and the 

 second with greenish-grey. Tail dark greenish-grey, with the 



