LITTLE EITTELK. 
Ill 
The wings have the first three quill feathers very nearly 
equal in length, and the longest; the axillary plume is white; 
greater and lesser wing coverts, dull yellowish buff; primaries, 
dusky, or greyish black; greater and lesser under wing coverts, 
white, or pale buff. Upper tail coverts, black, with green 
reflections; under tail coverts, whitish; the legs are clothed 
with feathers to, or nearly to, the knee joint; the unfeathered 
part and the toes, light yellowish green; the soles yellow; 
claws, dusky; the middle one is serrated on the inner side. 
Female. John Henry Gurney, Esq., and William Bichard 
Fisher, Esq., of Yarmouth, in their ‘Account of the Birds 
found in Norfolk,’ observe, ‘From an inspection of the specimens 
obtained from time to time in this district, we incline to the 
opinion, that if the females of this species ultimately arrive 
at a plumage similar to that of the adult males, as is asserted 
by modern naturalists, it is only at a much more advanced 
period than that at which the same plumage is assumed by 
the latter; and it appears quite certain that the female, in 
the supposed immature plumage, pairs with the adult male. 9 
The young in its first plumage, while yet some of the 
down remains upon it, has the head on the crown dark brown; 
the feathers of the neck white at the base, pale yellowish 
brown towards the end, with a streak of dark brown in the 
line of the shaft, which dark marks wear out by degrees. 
Breast, pale buff, with long streaks of dusky brown in the 
line of the feathers, which also gradually become obliterated; 
back, dark brown, with buff-coloured edges to the feathers, 
which are lost as the bird advances in age. Greater and 
lesser wing coverts, buff; primaries, greyish black; tertiaries, 
reddish brown; greater and lesser under wing coverts, pale 
buff white. Tail, greyish black, the outer web of the first 
quill feather chesnut; under tail coverts, pale buff white. 
Legs, toes, and claws, reddish brown. In the young bird, in 
the more advanced stage, the bill is yellowish brown. The 
crown is blackish green; neck on the sides reddish brown; in 
front, yellowish brown. The throat has a spot of white on 
each side; breast above, deep red brown, with a glossy lustre, 
the feathers margined with yellowish white; below, yellowish 
white, streaked with brown; back, chesnut brown; the 
feathers margined with yellowish white. Tail, blackish green; 
legs, pale olive brown. 
The plate is taken from a beautiful drawing by John 
Gatcombe, Esq., of Plymouth. 
