BRITISH BIRDS. 27 
same brilliant red as the crown of the head ; the sides 
are of a pale reddish brown, fading into a dull white 
in the middle of the belly from the breast to the vent ; 
the back, scapulars, and coverts of the wings are of a 
bright reddish brown, the middle of the feathers some- 
what darker than the rest of the webs ; the first quill 
feather is black, the eight next to it are the same, but 
white half their length on both the exterior and interi- 
or edges, the latter of which forms a stripe of that co- 
lour when the wing is closed. The tail is forked ; the 
two middle feathers are narrow and pointed towards 
the tip, they are wholly black, the rest are also black, 
but edged with white on both the outer and inner 
edges : the legs are dull brown. The female is with- 
out the red on her head and breast, in other respects 
her plumage is nearly the same as that of the male, 
but much less brilliant. In a wild state this charming 
bird wastes the sweetness of its song on 6t the desert 
air,” amidst “ the blossomed furze, unprofitably gay,” 
on the fells or heathy wastes which it almost constantly 
inhabits. There they build their nests and rear their 
young, concealed in the prickly close branches of the 
whin. The nest is composed of the stems of dry grass, 
mixed with a little moss, and lined with horse hair. 
The female commonly lays five eggs ; they are white, 
with a zone of freckles and small brown spots near the 
thicker end. 
E 
