48 
BRITISH BIRDS. 
the gape extending beyond the eyes, with a dufky 
patch at each angle : the hides are yellow. The 
crown of the head is fomewhat depreffed, and co« 
vered with long black feathers 5 the throat is yeh 
lowifn white, the fides of the neck pale ruft colour, 
%^ariegated with black, in fpotted, waved, and nar- 
row tranfverfe lines, and on the fore part the 
ground colour is whitilh, and the feathers fall down 
in lefs broken and darker lengthened ftripes. Thefe 
neck feathers, which it can raife and deprefs at 
pleafure, are long, and loofe, and inclining back- 
ward, cover the neck behind ; thofe below them on 
the breaft, to the thighs, are flreaked lengthwife 
with black, edged with yellowifli white : the thighs, 
belly, and vent are of a dull pale yellow, clouded 
with dingy brown. The plumage on the back and 
wings is marked with black zigzag lines, bars and 
llreaks, upon a ground fhaded with rufl colour 
and yellow. The baflard wings, greater coverts, 
and quills are brown, barred with black. The 
tail, which confifts only of ten feathers, is very 
fhort; the legs are of a pale green, bare a little 
above the knees ; the claws, particularly thofe on 
the hind toes, are long and fliarp, the middle ones 
fertated. 
The female is lefs than the male ; her plumage 
is darker, and the feathers on her head, breaft, and 
neck are ftiorter, and the colours not fo diftindlly 
marked. She makes an artlefs neft, compofed 
