90 RALLID^. 



primary and outer feathers of the bastard-wing ; the innermost 

 secondaries paler and more sandy brown along their inner webs ; 

 lower back black, with a few small white markings ; rump and 

 upper tail-coverts olive-brown centred with black, the lateral 

 feathers rather conspicuously barred and edged with white ; tail- 

 feathers dark brown, externally lighter brown ; crown of head olive- 

 brown, the feathers spotted with black like the back ; forehead and 

 eyebrow slaty grey, the latter profusely dotted with white ; a 

 narrow line at the base of the forehead and a loral spot black, 

 extending below the eye and on to the fore part of the cheeks ; 

 above the lores a faintly indicated spot of white ; cheeks and 

 throat slaty grey, dotted with white : ear-coverts uniform brown, 

 extending on to the sides of the neck ; neck, fore neck, breast, and 

 sides of the body everywhere spotted with white, which takes the 

 form of cross bars on the sides of the body, each white bar skirted 

 by a narrow blachish bar above and below ; the chest and upper 

 breast shaded with ashy ; lower breast and abdomen white, shading 

 off into sandy buff on the vent and under tail-coverts ; lesser under 

 wing-coverts and edge of wing conspicuously white ; remainder of 

 under wing-coverts and axillaries dusky brown barred with white, 

 resembling the flanks ; quills dusky below : " bill j-ellow, orange-red 

 at base, dusky on the culmen and at the tip ; legs and feet green ; 

 iris brown " {E. A. Butler). Total length 9 inches, culmen 0"85, 

 wing 4'85, tail 1'7, tarsus 1-3, middle toe and claw 1-7. 



The female differs from the male in having the sides of the face 

 more mottled, the breast and throat apparently never so uniform 

 grey as in the male. 



Adult in summer plumage. Very similar to the winter plumage, 

 but not so distinctly varied with white above ; the white dots also 

 absent for the most part on the eyebrow, sides of neck, throat, 

 and breast, which are almost uniformly grey, the latter slightly 

 washed with brown. 



Young. Easily distinguished from the adults by its white throat 

 and more profusely spotted appearance. The streaks on the back are 

 also very distinct as a rule. The adult plumage appears to me to 

 be gained without a moult, the grey colour being gradually as- 

 sumed as the spring advances ; but I have not had a sufficient 

 series to determine accurately the various phases through which 

 the species passes. The young bird has the brown of the head 

 continued to the base of the forehead. 



Hah. Europe generally up to about 6.5° W. lat. ; as far east as 

 Tarkand ; wintering in the Indian Peninsula and in Africa. 

 Accidental in Greenland. 



u. Jr. sk. England. Hume Coll. 



b. Ad. ; c, d, e. England. Gould Coll. 



Pull. sk. 



f. Ad. sk. Cambridgeshire. Purchased. 



'9, h, i. Pull. St. Cambridgeshire. Purchased. 



k. S jr. St. Near Cambridge, Oct. Ilarting Coll. 



/, m, n. Ad. sk. Waterbeach, Nov. Salvin-Godniau Coll. 



