64 SC0L01MCID.F. 



length of the bird twelve inches and a half; beak one 

 inch and a half; tarsus one inch two lines, tail two inches 

 eight lines, wing, from the carpus to the tip, seven inches 

 and a half. 



The adult male in the spring or breeding season has 

 two tufts of elongated feathers on the head and a ruff of 

 elongated feathers around the neck, which stand very con- 

 spicuously erect, especially during the excitement of their 

 daily battles. 



The colouring of these feathers varies in each individual 

 from white, yellow, and rufous, barred with black, to black 

 with metallic reflexions ; sides of the breast and thighs 

 are pale reddish- brown, barred with black, or entirely black. 

 The middle of the belly, vent, and under tail-coverts are 

 white. The four middle tail-feathers are barred with black ; 

 the remainder of one and the same colour : quills dusky. 

 The sides of the face from the gape above and below 

 the eyes are covered with orange-coloured warty tubercles. 

 The beak and legs are bright orange-red. The eyes hazel. 



The male in autumn and winter has none of the elon- 

 gated feathers about the head or neck. The under parts, 

 from the throat to the vent, are white in some, and in 

 others spotted with black, or black with white bars ; the 

 breast rufous with darker brown spots. The upper parts 

 vary in every individual. The beak and legs are raw-umber- 

 brown. 



The female, or Reeve, has never any crest or elongated 

 feathers about her neck ; the upper parts are cinereous- 

 brown, chequered with black, that reflects rich steel-blue ; 

 the under parts the same, but many tints lighter ; belly 

 and vent white ; the beak is dusky, or black, the legs wine- 

 yellow. 



The young of the year resemble the females, but have 



