8 4 
BRITISH BIRDS. 
third and fourth tipped on the.ir outer edges with 
white, the five following with ftraw colour ; the fe- 
condaries with white, each being tipt or pointed 
with a flat horny fubftance of a .bright Vermillion 
colour. Thefe appendages vary in different fub- 
jedts — in one of thofe we had in our poffeffion, we 
counted eight on one wing and fix on the other ; 
the legs are fhort and black. It is faid the female 
is not difiinguifhed by the little red waxen appen- 
dages at the ends of the fecond quills ; but this we 
are not able to determine from our own obferva- 
tions. 
This rare bird vifits us only at uncertain inter- 
vals. In the year 1790 and 1791 feveral of them 
were taken in Northumberland and Durham as ear- 
ly as the month of November ; fince that time we 
have not heard of any being feen here. The fum- 
mer refidence of thefe birds is fuppofed to be the 
northern parts of Europe, within the ar&ic circle, 
from whence they fpread themfelves into other 
countries, where they remain during winter, and 
return in the fpring to their ufual haunts. The 
general food of this bird is berries of various kinds ; 
in fome countries it is faid to be extremely fond of 
grapes ; one, which we faw in a ftate of captivi- 
ty was fed chiefly with quicken-tree berries, but 
from the difficulty of providing it with a fufficient 
fupply of its natural food it foon died. This is 
the only bird of its kind found in Europe 5 all the 
reft are natives of America. 
