BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA 413 



Adult female (rufescent phase). — Similar to the normal phase but 

 with the forehead, superciliaries, cheeks, chin, and throat somewhat darker 

 and brighter — between ochraceous-salmon and light ochraceous-salmon ; 

 crown, occiput, and nape tawny-olive washed with cinnamon; rest of 

 upperparts as in the normal phase but the general tone between pinkish 

 buff and cinnamon-buff (instead of gray) vermiculated with blackish; 

 the sagittate subterminal bars broader and paler — rufescent amber brown ; 

 breast washed with tawny to pale cinnamon ; flanks, thighs, and under 

 tail coverts much more rufescent — pinkish cinnamon-buff. 



Adult (first winter). — Like older adults, but with the two outermost 

 primaries (retained from the juvenal plumage) with more pointed tips. 



Juvenal (sexes alike). — "Crown black-brown finely streaked buff, each 

 feather having buff shaft-streaks ; back of neck, mantle, back, rump, and 

 upper tailcoverts buff-brown with whitish to pale buff shaft-streaks in- 

 conspicuously margined blackish ; lores and sides of head dark brown 

 streaked whitish ; chin, throat, and center of belly whitish to pale buff ; 

 breast, sides and flanks, and under tailcoverts buff brown slightly paler 

 than mantle and with whiter shaft-streaks, faintly margined brown on 

 flanks ; tail much like adult but feathers tipped buff and with subterminal 

 dusky bars and spots and central ones speckled and barred dusky; 

 primaries brown with pale buff tips and widely spaced bars on outer 

 webs ; secondaries with pale buff bars extending across both webs and 

 vermiculated brown, shafts pale buff; scapulars, inner secondaries, and 

 wingcoverts brown buff with wide brown-black bars and mottlings and 

 pale shaft streaks widening to white spots at tips of feathers" ; . . . legs 

 and feet yellow" (ex Witherby et al.. Handbook British Birds, v, 

 1941, 245). 



Natal donni (sexes alike). — "Closely covered with soft down, shorter 

 on head; tarsi and toes bare. Crown chestnut with a few small black 

 spots sometimes extending to lines ; back of neck with a wide black line 

 down center, at sides pale buff marked black ; rest of upperparts pale 

 buff with some rufous and black blotches or ill-defined lines; at base of 

 wings a spot, and on rump a patch, of chestnut ; forehead and sides of 

 head pale yellow-buff (sometimes tinged rufous) with spots, small blotches 

 and lines of black; chin and throat uniform pale yellow-buff; rest of 

 underparts slightly yellower, bases of down sooty" (ex Witherby et al., 

 Handbook British Birds, v, 1941, 244-245). 



Adult male— Wing 144-157 (151.8) ; tail 78-^4 (80.9) ; culmen from 

 basal groove 11.4-13.8 (12.4) ; tarsus 35-42 (39.1) ; middle toe without 

 claw 27.2-32.3 (30.6 mm.).^ 



* Five specimens from Germany, France, and captivity. 



To these data may be added the following based on a long series from England, 

 published by Witherby et al., Handbook Brit. Birds, v, 1941, 245 : 

 22 males: Wing 150-162; tail 73-83; bill from feathers 13-16; tarsus 38-42 mm. 

 A series of females: Wing 150-158; tail 73-78, 



