COMMON LAPWING. 
285 
surrounding the black crown there is a circle of 
yellowish-white, and under each eye, the auricu- 
lars, and a patch on the side of the neck, pure 
white, forming an irregularly oval spot of that 
colour ; the nape is hair-brown, and the back and 
wings are pale glossy olive-green, having bright 
blue and purple reflections on the shoulders of a 
much deeper tint, and there reflected with steel- 
blue ; the lower part of the back is also olive, ter- 
minated by a narrow band of chestnut ; the quills 
are black, the third and fourth longest, the three 
first tipped with greyish-white ; the belly and vent 
are pure white ; the under tail-coverts pale chest- 
nut-red; the tail comparatively short, is rich black, 
with a narrow white tip, and having a broad basal 
whito band; the outor feather only is pure white, 
with a greyish black spot near the tip of the outer 
web ; legs are purplish-red. In a female shot at 
the same time with the above described male, in 
full breeding state, the throat and chin were white ; 
the dark crown, and marking between the eye and 
the bill, of a deep hair-brown ; the crest about one 
half the length ; a little less brilliancy marked the 
other parts of the plumage. In winter the dress is 
nearly in this state, there being no black on the 
chin or throat, and on the back and shoulders the 
feathers are all narrowly tipped with yellowish- 
white. The young have the upper plumage still 
more tipped with the same colour, or of a more 
ochreous tint. 
