BRITISH BIRDS* 
I OS 
olive bronze brown : the coverts, fcapulars, lower 
part of the back and tail coverts, are edged with 
dull white, and moft elegantly marked with tranf- 
verfe dark-coloured narrow waved lines : the firft 
two quills are plain brown ^ the next nine are mark- 
ed on the middle of their inner webs, with white 
fpots ; the fecondaries are alfo marked in the fame 
manner, on both webs, and tipped with white.- The 
tail confifts of twelve feathers : the four middle ones 
are of an olive brown, dark at the tips ; thofe next 
to them, on each fide, are much lighter coloured, 
mottled with dark brown, and tipped with white ; 
the two outfide^ones are edged and tipped in the 
fame manner, but are barred on their webs with 
dark brown : legs pale dull green, faintly blulhed 
with red. 
This defcription was taken from a perfefl: bird, 
the prefent of the right honourable Lord Charles 
Aynfley, of Little-Harle Tower, Northumberland, 
in May, 1798. By comparing it with other birds, 
and other defcriptions, (no doubt taken with equal 
accuracy) the truth of the obfervation fo often 
made, that two birds even of the fame fpecies, are 
very feldom exactly alike, will be proved. 
This elegant little bird breeds in this country, but 
the fpecies is not numerous, yet they are frequently 
feen in pairs during the fummer months ; and are well 
known by their clear piping note, by their flight, by 
jerking up their tails, and by their manner of run- 
VoL. IL t O 
