BRITISH BIRDS. 
283 
of a dark gloffy purple ; the upper parts of the 
head and neck are of a deep purple, varying to 
gloffy green and blue ; the lower parts of the neck 
and breaft are of a reddilh cheftnut, with black 
indented edges ; the fides and lower part of the 
breaft are of the fame colour, with pretty large 
tips of black to each feather, which in different 
lights vary to a gloffy purple ; the belly and vent 
are dulky ; the back and fcapulars are beautifully 
variegated with black and white, or cream colour 
fpeckled with black, and mixed with deep orange, 
all the feathers being edged with black; on the 
lower part of the back there is a mixture of green ; 
the quills are dulky, freckled with white ; wing co- 
verts brown, gloffed with green, and edged with 
white ; rump plain reddilh brown ; the two middle 
feathers of the tail are about twenty inches long, 
the Ihorteft on each fide lefs than five, of a red- 
dilh brown colour, marked with tranfverfe bars of 
black ; the legs are dulky, with a Ihort blunt fpur 
on each ; between the toes there is a ftrong mem- 
brane. 
The female is lefs, and does not exhibit that va- 
riety and brilliancy of colours which diftinguilh 
the male : The general colours are light and dark 
brown, mixed with black ; the breaft and belly 
finely freckled with fmall black fpots on a light 
ground ; the tail is Ihort, and barred fomewhat like 
the male ; the fpace round the eye is covered with 
feathers. 
