THE SPECIES. 131 



Serinua. Plate vii. FRINGILUNj^.. (Passeridai). 



90. canarius, 4^111. Wild Canary. Feathersofbackedged with grey, 

 and marked willi olive green ; wing coverts tippea 

 with olive green. 



89. koriulanus, /\\ in. Sehin. Feathers of back edged with yellow ; wing 

 coverts tipped with yellow. 



The Wild Cannry — Dimensions, Al ; Eggs, Cl — has occasionally been reported as 

 appearing in small flocks on the Sussex Downs. 



The Serin — Dimensions, Am ; Eggs, Ac — occasionally appears in the same locality. Rut 

 in each case there are doubts as to whether the birds are not "escapes " ; and, in fact, the 

 evidenoe in favour of the Canary is stronger than that in favour of the Serin. 



Sitta. Plate iv. SITTING (PasseridEe), 



58. cmia, 5^ in. Nuthatch. Bluisli above, huffish below ; black 



streak through eye ; remiges 19 ; first primiiry ' 

 short; third, fourth, and fifth longest; two middle- 

 tail feathers slaty grey, each of the others black, 

 white, and grey ; legs pale brown. 



The Nuthatch — Dimensions, Ch ; Eggs, Co— is a resident. Its peculiar toe enables it to 

 run down the tree trunks, as well as up them, and thereby it can be distinguished from the 

 Creepers and Woodpeckers. It sleeps head downwards ; and it perches across the twigs like 

 a Nightjar. Its call is *' whit, whit," The female is not so brightly coloured. The nest is 

 in a hole of a rotfen tree, which is plastered up all but a small opening just large enough 10 

 admit the bird; it consists of a few dead leaves and chips of bark, and contains from five to 

 eight eggs, 



Somateria. Plate xxii. ANATJDM. 



255. stelleri, 20 in. Stellkr's Eider. Crown white. 



254. spectabilis, 24 in. King Eider, Crown grey, basal tubercle of beak 



orange red. 

 253. mollissima, 25 in. ElDER DucK. Crown black ; central line of 



feathers on beak reaching only half way to 



nostrils ; remiges 26. 



Steller's Eider — Dimensions, Pd ; Eggs^ Pa — occasionally wanders here from the Arctic 

 Regions in the winter. ]t has -a blue wing bar with white edges. The female is ruddy 

 brown with a duller wing bar. 



The King Eider — Dimensions, Qt ; Eggs, Qf— is another winter straggler from the far 

 north. It has a narrow black chevron under the chin. 



The Eider Duck— Dimensions, Rg ; Eggs, Sb— is a regular winter visitor, and breeds 

 along the coast north of the Fames. It has an easy powerful (light. The call is a rolling "kr, 

 kr, kr." The female is dark brown with white tips to some of the secondaries and the 

 greater wing coverts. The nest is sometimes in a hole in the rocks, sometimes on the ground, 

 and is a mass of sea campion and grass lined with grey down. There are from five to eight 

 eggs. 



Spatula. Plate xxi. ANA TIDM, 



237, clypeata, 20 in. Shoveller Duck. Bill dark slate ; wing bar 

 green ; tail of 14 feathers. 

 The Shoveller— Dimensions, Pg ; Egtrs, Nh — is always found in pairs. The male hns a 

 black bill ; the female's is greenish brown above. The male's eyes are yellow, the female's 

 are brown. The female has dark brown plumage, and this is assumed by the male in the 

 summer. The flight is rapid and rather laboured, "The call is " took, took." The nest is on 

 the ground in grass or heather, and is made of dry grass lined with dark grey down, tipped 

 faintly with white. There are seven, eight, or nine eggs. 



Squatarola. Plate xxvi, CHARADRIID/^. 



296. helvetica^ 11 in. Grey Plover. White above barred with black and 



brown ; black below ; axillaries black ; tail coverts 



white ; bill black ; tail barred ; legs black. 



The Grey Plover — Dimensions, Jm ; Eggs, No — calls here in July and August on iis way 



from its northern breeding haunts, and calls again in the spring on its way back, though a 



good many remain here during the winter. In winter the under parts are mostly while. Thf 



female is browner on the back than the male. 



I 



