34 ^ 
BRITISH BIRDS* 
a broad band of bright orange bay, -wbich is fpread 
over, and covers the breaft and ihonlders. The 
back, wing-coveits, rump, upper tail-coverts, and 
lides of the belly to the vent, and tail, are white: 
a dulky ftripe, tinged with rufous, runs along the 
middle from the breaft, the whole length qf the 
belly: part of the fcapulars next the wings are 
black, and thofe next the body white : the baftard 
wing, and fome of the firft primary quills, are black ; 
the exterior webs of the next adjoining ones are 
gloffed with gold green, which forms the fpeculuni 
or beauty-fpot of the wings : this fpot is bounded, 
and partly covered by the orange webs of the three 
fucceeding quill-feathers, which feparate it from the 
fcapulars. The tail is white, but fome of its fea- 
thers are tipped with black : the legs pale red. 
The female is lefs than the male, and her plumage 
is not fo vivid and beautiful. She makes her neft, 
and rears her young, under ground, in the rabbit- 
holes which are made in the fand-hills near the 
fea-fliore : it is chiefly formed of the fine down 
plucked from her own breaft : flie lays from twelve 
to fixteen roundifh white eggs, and the incubation 
lafts about thirty days. During this time the male, 
who is very attentive to his charge, keeps watch 
in the day-time on fome adjoining hillock, where he 
can fee all around him, and which he quits only 
when impelled by hunger, to procure fubfiftence. 
The female alfo leaves the neft, for the fame pur- 
