

53. EMBEEIZA. 527 



margins to the feathers : abdomen pale sulphur-yellow, streaked on 

 the sides with black shaft-lines, the flanks being reddish brown, 

 more broadly streaked with black ; thighs sulphur-yellow, mottled 

 with black bases ; under tail-coverts pale sulphur-yellow, with black 

 shaft-lines ; axillaries and under wing-coverts pale yellow, with 

 ashy bases to the feathers ; quills dusky brown, ashy whitish along 

 the edge of the inner web. Total length o-o inches, culmen 0-45, 

 wing 3*9, tail 2*45, tarsus 065. 



Adult male in winter plumage. Differs from the summer plumage 

 in the greater amount of olive-green on the upper surface, the whole 

 back being washed with olive-greenish edges to the feathers ; the 

 lower back, rump, and upper tail-coverts entirely dull olive-greenish, 

 the head and neck also strongly olive-greenish and distinctly streaked 

 with black ; the light edges to the wing-coverts and secondaries 

 much more distinct 1 }' marked than in summer ; all the black of the 

 cheeks, throat, and ear-coverts obscured by olive-yellow edges to 

 the feathers ; the olive of the chest-band duller, and the chestnut 

 on the sides of the breast obscured by yellowish edges to the 

 feathers. 



The summer plumage seems to bo attained rather late in the 

 season, for plentiful traces of winter plumage are seen in a specimen 

 shot as late as the 5th of May. 



Adult female in breeding-plumage. Distinguished from the male 

 by the absence of the black and yellow facial markings ; otherwise 

 the upper surface in the two sexes is not very different, though the 

 olive colour of the head is duller ; the wings and tail are similar to 

 those of the male. Underneath, the colouring is totally dissimilar : 

 there is no black on the throat, nor any yellow band across the lower 

 throat ; over the eye a slightly indicated streak of white ; lores and 

 feathers below the eye buffy white; ear-coverts brown, blackish on 

 the hinder margin ; cheeks and throat dull white, washed with 

 yellow, the former with a streak of dark brown along the upper 

 edge, and a line of blackish brown separating the cheeks from the 

 throat, which is also minutely spotted with black ; the lower throat 

 yellowish buff, minutely streaked with black ; fore neck and chest 

 dull ashy olive, streaked with black shaft-lines ; breast and abdomen 

 pale yellow, whiter towards the vent, which, with the lower abdomen, 

 is uniform ; all the rest of the under surface minutely streaked with 

 black shaft-lines, broader on the sides of the body and flanks, which 

 are slightly washed with brown ; the sides of the upper breast pale 

 chestnut with black shaft-streaks. 



Adult female in winter plumage. Differs from the summer plumage 

 in being browner above, the head liko the back ; the edges to the 

 greater coverts paler, ashy fulvous at tip ; the greater coverts 

 and secondaries more broadly edged with pale chestnut ; lower back 

 and rump browner than in summer; ear-coverts brown, with a 

 central mark of dull yellowish, the upper and lower edges blackish ; 

 lores dull yellowish ; superciliary streak and ring of feathers round 

 the eye brighter yellow, the former with narrow black shaft-lines ; 

 cheeks and throat clear yellow, numerously spotted with triangular 



