Page:Ornithological biography, or an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, vol 2.djvu/206

170 however, being spotted with black. Lower neck and middle of the breast of a bright carmine tint ; lower wing coverts white, tinged with carmine.

Length 7| inches, extent of wings 13 ; bill along the back {^^, along the edge j% ; tarsus ji.

Adult Female. Plate CXXVII. Fig. 2.

The female differs greatly from the male in external appearance. The bill brown above, paler beneath ; iris hazel ; feet as in the male. The ge- neral colour of the plumage above is olivaceous brown, spotted with brownish-black, the central part of each feather being of the latter colour. On the head is a central longitudinal band of pale yellowish-grey, spotted with dark brown, then on each side, a dark brown band, and above the eye a white one ; a brown band from the bill to the eye and beyond it, and under this a whitish band. There are two white bands on the wings as in the male, but narrower and duller. The quills and tail are brown. The lower parts light brownish-yellow, fading behind into white; the fore neck, breast, and sides, marked with small longitudinal spots or streaks of dark-brown. The lower wing-coverts very slightly tinged with rose- colour.

Young Male in autumn. Plate CXXVIL Fig. 3.

After the first moult, the young male resembles the female, but al- ready shews the rosy tints both on the breast, and on the under wing- coverts.

Young in first plumage. Plate CXXVIL Fig. 4.

In this state also the young resemble the female.

Taxus canadensis, Willd. Sp. PI. vol. iv. p. 856. Pursh, Flor. Amer. Sept. vol. ii. p, 647.— Dl.ICIA MONADELPHIA. CoNIFER^E, JuSS.

The Ground Hemlock, or Canadian Yew, is abundant on the decUvities of the mountains from Maryland to Maine. It is a low tree, or rather bush, often almost prostrate, and frequently hanging from the rocks. The leaves are linear, distichous, revolute at the margin. The berrie.s, which are oblong or globular, and of a pale red colour, are eatable.