500 MOTACILLID^. 



with ashy ; the greater series tipped with white ; bastard-wiug, 

 primary-coverts, and quills dusky blackish, edged with ashy brown, 

 the inner secondaries more broadly with yellowish white, the bases 

 white, but concealed by the coverts ; tail-feathers brown, externally 

 washed with olive-yellowish ; outer tail-feathers white, the shaft 

 dusky towards the base ; the two next feathers white, brown ou the 

 outer web for the greater part of their length ; head like the back ; 

 lores ashy, surrounded by a pale fawn-coloured streak, which ex- 

 tends as an eyebrow above the ear-coverts ; feathers below the eye 

 and ear-coverts ashy washed with brown ; cheeks, throat, and fore 

 neck pale fawn-colour ; remainder of the under surface of body pale 

 yellow, mixed with white ; the vent and under tail-corerts bright 

 yellow ; sides of the body ashy ; under wing-coverts and axillaries 

 dull white, with dusky bases to the coverts near the edge of the 

 wing ; quills dusky below, with a good deal of white near the base 

 of the secondaries. Total length 7*7 inches, culmen 0-55, wing 3-2, 

 taU 3'65, tarsus 0'8. 



In winter the buff-coloured throat and eyebrow are sure iudi- 

 cations of immaturity, as the old birds are bright yeUow under- 

 neath, with white throats. In the young birds, as winter progresses, 

 the buff throat fades off into whitish, but not invariably, as a male 

 obtained by Mr. Robson on the 3rd of April, is changing to the 

 black throat directly fron the buff-coloured plumage. 



A number of specimens in breeding-plumage are in the Museum, 

 with the black throat obscured by hoary-white margins to the 

 feathers; these I consider to be young males of the previous year 

 in their first spring plumage. I have no doubt that these hoary 

 edgings soon wear off. 



Adult male in hreeding-plumage. General colour above clear blue- 

 grey, with a slight wash of yellowish olive ou the back and crown ; 

 lower rump and upper tail-coverts brighter yellow, the lateral ones 

 very conspicuous ; lesser wing-coverts dark ashy ; median and 

 greater coverts dusky brown, edged with ashy olive ; bastard-wing, 

 primary-coverts, and quUls dusky brown, with obsolete margins of 

 ashy olive, the inner secondaries dull white near the base of the 

 outer web, forming a more or less concealed wing-patch ; innermost 

 secondaries externally brighter yellow, or yellowish white; tail- 

 feathers blackish brown, edged with olive-yellow, especially near 

 the base ; the outer feather entirel}- white, the next two white, 

 edged with blaclcish along the outer web for the greater j^art of its 

 length ; lores blackish, extending below the eye ; eyelid and a dis- 

 tinct line above the eye white ; ear-coverts clear grey, with a 

 whitish patch on the lower parts ; throat black, having a white 

 moustachial streak on each side joined to the sides of the neck ; 

 remainder of under surface bright yellow, becoming much more 

 brilliant on the under tail-coverts ; the sides of the body more ashy ; 

 thighs rather browner ; axillaries and under wing-coverts ashy 

 whitish, those near the edge of the'' wing mottled with ashy bases j 

 lower primary-coverts and quills below dusJjy, with a good deal of 

 white near the base of the secondaries : " bill black ; legs, feet, and 



