15. L\Kus. 253 



white. Mature birds have a subapical white mirror on the Isfc 

 primarj- and a smaller one on the 2iid, but in the majority of 

 examples there is no spot on the latter ; the larger quills are 

 chioll)' black — especially on the outer webs, with white tips which 

 are minute on tlie outermost and increase in size ascendingly ; the 

 bases of the quills are, however, lead-colour, especially on the inner 

 webs, so that at the LJrd a " wedge " becomes visible, while from 

 the 4th upwards the lead-colour has spread to the outer web, and 

 the black portion becomes by contrast a subterminal bar, decreasing 

 in size ascendingly and disappearing at the 0th or 7th quill, whence 

 the feathers are lead-colour, with white tips. In dark-winged 

 birds there is no marked contrast of colour in the wedge until the 5th 

 quill is reached, when the subterminal bar becomes visible. Bill 

 yellow, the angle of the genys red ; iris pale straw-yellow ; tarsi 

 and toes bright lemon-yellow. Total length nearly 22 inches, 

 culmen 2-5, wing lG-16-5, tail 6'5, tarsus 2-G, middle toe with claw 

 2-25. 



The female is smaller, with less robust bill. 



Adult in ivinter. Head and neck streaked with dusky brown. 



Obs. The principal characteristics of L. fuscus are tlie compara- 

 tively long tarsus and the small delicate foot. The colours of the 

 mantle and wings are so variable in shade that the palest examples 

 might be mistaken for the iiext species, L. a£iais, but for the larger 

 size and coarser foot of the latter. The blackest examples of 

 L. fuscus are found indifferently in the Fojroes, Norway, Egypt, and 

 on the lied Sea ; the lightest are perhaps some from Scotland • 

 and between the extremes there is every gradation. 



Young. Head, neck, and under surface whity brown, with darker 

 streaks ; feathers of the mantle and wings clove- to umber-brown 

 with huffish edges ; quills sooty brown to black ; rectriccs chiefly 

 dark brown tipped with white, and rather boldly mottled on a 

 greyish ground at their bases. With increasing age of the bird 

 the dark subterminal brown breaks up into bars and patches, but 

 so long as these exist they are sharply defined. By the end of the 

 first year the mantle is chiefly dark brown, the buff edges havin" 

 ■worn off. Bill dark horn-colour ; tarsi and toes yellowish brown. 



Immature. Head and neck flecked with brownish ; mantle slate- 

 colour, with a brown tinge ; t[uills dark brown, with an indication of 

 a spot on the 1st ; tail-feathers white, slightly mottled with greyish 

 brown ; under surface white : bill yellowish basally ; legs distinctly 

 yellow. 



Four years elapse between the young and the adult plumage. 



Nestliwj. Greyish buff", streaked and spotted with black on the 

 upper parts and throat. 



Hah. Northern Europe from the Dwina westward to the Fjeroes 

 (but not in Iceland), and southward to the Mediterranean 

 (breeding) ; in winter to the Canaries, Senegal, Fantee, Bonny, 

 Egypt, Nubia, the lied Sea (said to be resident on the last), and 

 Fao, Persian Gulf. Very rare in the North Caspian, and practically 

 not found cast of the line of the Dwina, where L. ajjiais begins. 



