57. PLECTROPHENAX. 575 



rufous ; secondaries white, externally washed with pale rufous, the 

 inner secondaries black, rufescent externally and at the tips ; tail- 

 feathers blackish, broadly margined with ashy rufous, the three 

 outer ones white, with rufescent margins and tips, with more or 

 less black towards the ends of the outer webs, the third feather 

 blackish at the end of the inner web as well; sides of face, sides of 

 neck, and ear-coverts ashy like the head ; under surface of body 

 pale ochreous, whiter on the under tail-coverts ; the fore reck and 

 lower throat washed with ashy ; under wing-coverts, axillaries, and 

 inner lining of quills ashy whitish. 



From this plumage the yoang bird moults into a completely 

 rufescent dress, which is very similar to that of the adults in winter. 



Adult male in winter plumage. Differs from the summer in being 

 sandy rufous or pale chestnut, only mottled on the upper surface 

 where the black bases to the feathers show through ; lower back, 

 rump, and upper tail-coverts more distinctly and uniformly sandy 

 rufous, the latter broadly tipped with the latter colour ; tail-feathers 

 as in summer, but with broader and more rufescent margins ; wings 

 as in summer, but with a rufescent tinge on the coverts ; the pri- 

 mary-coverts black with white bases, and the white confined to the 

 extreme base of the primaries ; inner greater coverts and inner 

 secondaries very broadly edged with rufous ; entire head and neck 

 washed with pale chestnut, the crown blackish ; sides of face and 

 under surface of body white, washed with pale chestnut on the sides 

 of the body, the fore neck, and throat, deepening on the ear-coverts. 



The adult female in winter plumage can only be distinguished 

 from the male by the less amount of white on the tail, and by the 

 wing-coverts, which are not white but blackish, with ashy-white 

 or rufescent margins ; the secondaries also have less white than the 

 males. Young females in winter plumage cannot be distinguished 

 from old females at the same time of year. Young males in ivinter 

 plumage can be told by their ashy-white wing-coverts and by the 

 greater extent of white on the outer tail-feathers. The chestnut 

 shade on the head and underparts varies with individuals, but in the 

 early autumn it often overspreads the entire underparts, and is very 

 deep on the face and throat. 



As the summer plumage is gradually assumed by shedding the 

 pale edges to the feathers, specimens in all kinds of intermediate 

 stages are seen in collections. The black tips to the primary- 

 coverts in the males disappear, and the white bases to the primaries 

 extend by degrees, as the rufous on the upper parts disappears, 

 allowing the underlying white and black plumage to predominate. 



Hab. The same as that of the genus. 



a. J hiem. sk. Orkneys (Dunn). R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



b. Ad. sk. Cambridge (F. Godman'). Salvin-Godnian Coll. 

 e. cjhiem.sk. Ely, Dec. 5 (F. Godman). Salvin-Godman Coll. 

 d, e. Ad. hiem. st. Cambridgeshire. Mr. J. Baker [C], 



'. <S ad. hiem. sk. Cookham, Berks, Nov. 28, R, B. Sharpe, Esq. TPJ. 



1874 (R.B. 8.). 

 g. 5 imm. sk. Somersetshire. Col. Montagu [C.]. 



