2. ALyKMON. 523 



and quills dark brown, margined with cinnamon-rufous, shading off 

 into a fulvous edging on the extreme margin of the greater coverts 

 and some of the secondaries, the innermost of which are more 

 broadl}' edged ; upper tail-coverts rufous, with distinct f)lackish 

 shaft-streaks ; tail dark brown, with pale edgings of fulvous brown, 

 the two centre feathers broadly and the two outermost narrowly 

 margined with cinnamon-rufous ; lores and a distinct eyebrow 

 creamy buff ; feathers in front of the eye blackish ; under the eye 

 another line of creamy-buff feathers ; ear-coverts cinnamon ; cheeks 

 and throat dull white, varied with a few blackish spots ; rest of 

 under surface buffy white, slightly rufescent on the sides of the 

 body, the fore neck and breast thicklj- spotted with dark brown, 

 the spots becoming narrower and more longitudinal on the sides of 

 the breast and flanks ; thighs rufous ; under tail-coverts white, the 

 shafts rufous, the longest plumes rufous, with black shafts and a 

 whitish tip; under wing-coverts ashy brown, like the inner lining of 

 the wing : " bill light reddish brown, the lower mandible pale buff- 

 orange towards the base ; legs and toes intermediate between 

 broccoli and yellowish brown, and tinted with flesh-red ; claws 

 light reddish brown ; iris bright brown ; eyebrow rusty white " 

 (Sir A. Smith). Total length 7 inches, culmen 0'7, wing 3"65, 

 tail 3'8, tarsus 1*05. 



Winter plumage. Entirely different from the summer dress. 

 Above ashy grey, with a slight sandy-coloured tinge, the black 

 central stripes broad but obscure, rather plainer on the middle of 

 the back and scapularies, which are rather broadly margined with 

 creamy white ; wing - coverts dark greyish brown, with ashy 

 margins to least series, the greater and median series broadly edged 

 with whitisli ; quills dark brown, margined with ashy, the secon- 

 daries broadly edged with whitish ; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 rather more distinctly washed with sandy colour than the back, the 

 latter with dark brown shaft-stripes ; tail-feathers dark brown, the 

 centre feathers shaded with greyish, and plainly margined with 

 ashy white, the outermost feathers having also a slight edging of 

 the same ; eyebrow and streak below the eye white ; feathers in 

 front of the latter blackish ; ear-coverts uniform ashy grey like the 

 back, but without dark shaft-streaks ; hinder part of the cheeks 

 washed with ashy grey ; fore part of cheeks and throat white, with 

 an indistinct moustachial line of blackish spots ; sides of neck and 

 under surface of body white, with triangular blackish spots from 

 the lower throat to the breast, changing into longitudinal streaks 

 on the sides of the breast and flanks and under tail-coverts ; sides 

 of the body in(-lining to greyish, as also the thighs ; under wing- 

 coverts and wing-lining entirely ashy brown : " bill, legs, toes, and 

 claws deep orange-coloured brown, shaded with brownish red, the 

 lower mandible towards the base sienna-yellow " {Sir A. Smith). 



Younr/. Similar to the winter plumage of the adult, but more 

 sandy brown, most of the featliers of the upper surface with white 

 edges or tips, producing a spotted appearance ; underneath dingy 

 white, thickly mottled with brown spots, fringed with whitish 



