92 A CATAXOGUE OP THE BIEDS 



was unusually abundant, but in 1872 there was a great decrease 

 in the number, apparently owing to the large rainfall of that year. 



Several exaraples of a very pretty dark brown variety have 

 occurred in Northumberland during the last few years. The 

 first that came under my notice was shot in October, 1863, near 

 Cresswell : it is a young bird. In the following year two other 

 examples were killed in the same locality ; one, young, on the 

 7th of September, the other, a male, on the 19th of October. 

 An adult bird was shot at Eslington !N'ovember 9th, 1865; on 

 the 16th of jSTovember, 1868, another example was obtained at 

 Cresswell. I am informed by Mr. Duncan, that in the autumn 

 of 1869, three additional individuals were killed at Cresswell — 

 one young and two adults, one of the latter being a male : and 

 that two others were shot at that place on the 3rd of October 

 the same year. An example in the ITewcastle Museum, pre- 

 sented by E. "Warwick, Esq., was killed near Kirkwhelpington, 

 on the 7th of September, 1870; and on the 16th of January, 

 1871, a specimen was obtained at "Widdrington, and is now in 

 my possession. Thus, in all, twelve of this interesting variety 

 have been procured, nine of which were killed at Cresswell. 



A remarkable feature in the colour of this variety is the entii'e 

 absence of the grey. ash tint that so agreeably diversifies the neu- 

 tral colouring of the normal plumage. The whole of the head 

 and neck is of a pale buff or chestnut, similar to that of the front 

 of the head and neck of the ordinary bird ; the upper parts are 

 a dark red-brown, each feather having the shaft pale and the 

 extremity with a large spot of obscure white; the upper tail 

 coverts arc pale chestnut like the head, with dark brown bands ; 

 the tail-feathers arc of the same chestnut colour, but darker 

 than those of the normal bird ; the under tail coverts are brown, 

 clouded with darker colour. The whole of the under parts is of 

 a uniform dark chestnut colour, as if the usual horse-shoe mark 

 had been extended ; on the breast in front, where this dark brown 

 meets the pale chestnut or buff on the neck, it is not abruptly 

 defined, but breaks into it irregularly ; the thighs arc pale ob- 

 scure buff, and so arc the feathers of the vent. 



The above is a description of a male specimen in my collection, 



