BRITISH BIRDS* 
ii8 
the fecondaries, forms an oblique bar acrofs the ex- 
tended wings : the primaries, except the firfl; three, 
are edged on the exterior webs with white ; their 
fliafts are alfo moftly white, and each feather is 
lharply pencilled and diftindly defined with a light 
colour about the tips : a darkifh fpot covers each 
fide of the head from the corners of the mouth, and 
a pale ftreak paffes from the bill over each eye : the 
throat and fore part of the neck to the breaft, are of 
a yellowifh white, mottled **with brown fpots : a 
dufky crefcent-fhaped patch, the feathers of which 
are narrowly edged with white, covers the breaft, 
the horns pointing towards the thighs : * the belly 
and vent are white : the middle tail feathers black, 
edged with ferruginous ; the others pale afli, edged 
with white : legs and thighs black. The female is 
rather larger than the male, but in other refpefts 
refembles him pretty nearly. 
The above defcription and figure were taken 
from a pair, fent by the Rev. C. Rudfton, of Sand- 
hutton, near York, the 226 . of April, 1799; and 
the author has been favoured with numbers of thefe 
and others of the fame genus, by the Rev. H. Cotes, 
vicar of Bedlington ; not two of which were exaS:- 
ly alike, probably owing to the difference of age or 
fex. 
* In feme fpecimens, fuppofed to be female, this patch was 
wanting. 
