BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 387 



• 



the upper tail-coverts (sometimes lower rump also) with conspicuous 

 longitudinal, more or less hastate or V-shaped markings of dusky, 

 the longer upper tail-coverts sometimes tinged with pale bulTy 

 grayish; tail barred with dull white and dusky grayish brown, the 

 paler bars usually more or less shaded with pale buffy grayish, 

 especially on middle rectriccs, on wliich the pale bars are sometimes 

 wholly grayish buffy; supraocular region and posterior portion of 

 supraloral region dull wliite, minutely and sparsely flecked with 

 dusky; chin and throat immaculate dull white or buffy white; rest 

 of head and neck, together with chest, very pale grayish buffy 

 (pale vinaceous-buff or tilleul buff) narrowly but sharply streaked 

 with dusky, the breast, sides, and flanks similar but with ground 

 color more nearly white, the flanks more or less spotted or barred 

 with grayish brown; rest of under parts white, the under tail-coverts 

 with narrow mesial streaks of dusky; axillars and under wing- 

 coverts immaculate white, or with scattered streaks or bars of brown- 

 ish gray; inner webs of primaries brownish gray, barred or trans- 

 versely spotted with white, these white bars or spots not extending 

 to the shaft and sometimes broken up into an irregular mottling or 

 mar])ling; maxilla black terminally passing into brown basally, the 

 mandible black terminally with basal half (more or less) light brown- 

 ish (dull flesh color in life) ; iris dark brown; legs and feet dusky (more 

 or less grayish in life) . 



Winter plumage. — ''Very similar to the breeding-plumage, but 

 paler, and much less heavily striped, especially on the under surface 

 of the body; the black spots and streaks on the rump scarcely apparent 

 and concealed by the white plumage; upper tail-coverts white, with 

 very few brown cross-bars; tail white, barred with brown." " 



Young. — "Differs from the adult in being much more tawny 

 and . . . may always be distinguished from the old ones by the much 

 lighter pattern of the notches and bars on the innermost secondaries, 

 these markings being tawny-buff, and the black centers to the 

 feathers being much broader." ^ 



Adult male.— \Ying, 285-286 (285.5) tail, 107-108.5 (107.7); 

 exposed culmen, 125-152.5 (138.7); tarsus, 77; middle toe, 42.<= 



Adult female.— Wing, 284-304 (294); tail, 117-118.5 (117.7;) 

 exposed culmen, 118-131 (124.5); tarsus, 78-79 (78.5); middle toe, 42.*^ 



Breeding in northern and central Europe, from the British Islands 

 eastward to the Kirghis steppes and plains of the Caucasus, north- 

 ward to the Scandinavian peninsula, delta of the Dvina and basin 

 the Volga rivers, southward to Holland (and delta of the Rhone ?) ; 



a Sharpe. Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxvi, 345. 

 b Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxvi, 346. 

 '^ Two specimens, from England. 



