BRITISH BIRDS* 
144 
light brown, the outermoft with white; the legs 
are of a yellowifh brown. It is fomewhat difficult 
to defcribe a fpecies of bird of which no two are to 
be found perfectly fimilar, but its fpecific characters 
are plain, and cannot eafily be miftaken ; the co- 
lours of the female are lefs bright than thofe of the 
male, with very little yellow about the head. 
This bird is common in every lane and on every 
hedge throughout the country, flitting before the 
traveller as he paffes along the road, or uttering its 
fimple and frequently repeated monotone on the 
hedges by the way fide. They feed on various 
kinds of feeds, infeCls, See. The female' makes an 
artlefs neft, compofed of hay, dried roots, and mofs, 
which fhe lines with hair and wool ; file lays four 
or five eggs, marked with dark irregular (freaks, 
and frequently has more than one brood in the fea- 
fon. In Italy, where lhiall birds of almofl; every 
defeription are made ufe of for the table, they are 
e (teemed as very good eating, and are frequently 
fatted for that purpofe like the Orlotan ; but with 
us, who are accuftomed to grofler kinds of food, 
they are confidered as too inJignificant to form any 
part of our repafts. 
