106 
©OLDFHSTCH. 
the inner half yellow on the outer webs, except that of the 
first, the tips white; the second quill feather is the longest,, 
fiut only slightly over the first, which is a little longer than 
the third; tertiaries, with a spot of white at the tip; greater 
an( j lesser under wing coverts, white. The tail, which is 
black tipped with white, is slightly forked and rather short; 
the two outer feathers have a large oval-shaped white spot on 
the inner web; upper tail coverts, greyish white. Legs and 
toes, pale dusky brown; claws, dusky brown. 
The female is not so brilliant in colour; length, rather 
over four inches and three quarters; the head has less crimson 
on the crown, and it is frequently mingled with black, and 
the black is mixed with grey and brown; the white on the 
side of the neck is tinged with brown. The chin has less 
crimson; the breast duller white on the lower part. The 
wings expand to the width of a little over eight inches and 
three quarters; the white tips of the feathers are tinged with 
brown, and the black is less deep; lesser wing coverts, brown; 
the tail is not so bright a black. 
The young present, in some respects, the same general 
appearance as" the old birds, but the colours are fainter. The 
bill, pale pink; the head, on the crown, has the black much 
mixed with grey, and the rest brown; the black comes out 
about the end of September, or beginning of October, and the 
red at the end of that'month. Neck on the back, and nape,, 
greyish brown; the breast, brownish grey. 
& Montagu says that a variety is sometimes taken with white 
spots undvr the throat. In confinement varieties occur, black, 
black and white, and white. 
