88 TREATISE ON 



Description and Plumage, 



This bird is in length about five inches and a 

 half, — of a slender make, — ^bill wood-brown, in- 

 clining to black at the tip, — eyes umber-brown, — 

 over each eye is a streak of pale yellowish-grey, 

 inclining to white, — the upper part of the plu- 

 mage is not unlike the skylark, but darker on the 

 back, where it passes into hair-brown, slightly 

 tinged with olive-green ; — the breast is very pale, 

 but dingy straw-yellow, beautifully marked with 

 brownish-black spots, — the under parts pale, but 

 dingy ash-grey, inclining to white, — obscurely 

 streaked on the sides with very pale clove-brown, 

 — ^tail umber-brown, — outer feathers white, — legs 

 pale dingy ochre yellow, — feet and claws pale yel- 

 lowish-brown. The male and female are very like 

 each other, and the only way of distinguishing the 

 cock-bird is to hear it record, or warble its song. 



