BLUE BIRD. 87 



even, of twelve broad, rounded feathers. Short bristle-pointed feathers 

 at the base of the mandible. 



Bill and feet black, the soles yellow, iris yellowish-brown. The ge- 

 neral colour of the upper parts is bright azure-blue, that of the lower 

 yellowish-brown, the belly white. Shafts of the quills and tail feathers 

 dusky. 



Length 7 inches, extent of wing 10 ; bill along the ridge ^, along 

 the edge | ; tarsus j%. 



Adult Female. Plate CXIII. Fig. 2. 



The female has the upper part of a tint approaching to leaden, the 

 foreneck and sides yellowish-brown, but duller than in the male, the 

 belly white. 



Length 6^ inches. 



Young Bird. Plate CXIII. Fig. 3. 



When fully fledged, the young have the upper part of the head, the 

 back of the neck, and a portion of the back broccoli-brown ; the rest of 

 the upper part much as in the Female. The lower parts are light grey, 

 the feathers of the breast and sides margined with brown. 



The Great Mullein. 



Verbascum Thapsus, Wild. Sp. PL vol. i. p. 1001. Pursh, Flor. Amer. vol. i. 

 p. 142. Smilh, Engl. Flor. vol. i. p. 512. — Pentandria Monogynia, Linn. 



SOLANE^, JuSS. 



This plant, which is well knovra in Europe, is equally so in America; 

 but whether it has been accidentally or otherwise introduced into the 

 latter country, I cannot say. At present there is hardly an old field or 

 abandoned piece of ground on the borders of the roads that is not over- 

 oTown with it. In the Middle and Southern Districts, it frequently at- 

 tains a height of five or six feet. The flowers are used in infusion for 

 catarrhs, and a decoction of the leaves is employed in chronic rheuma- 

 tism. 



