31. NETTION. 247 



velvet-black, the lateral ones of a buff colour, with a band of black 

 at tlie ba.se ; upper wing-coverts lead-grey, the greater row whitish 

 buff, darker towards the inner ones ; wing-speculum on the secon- 

 daries velvety black, with a white apical band on the outer half, 

 glossy green on the inner half; the first tertial velvet-black on the 

 outer web ; primaries and tail-feathers greyish brown, the latter 

 with pale edges; under wing-coverts grey, edged with white, the 

 central ones and the asillaries wholly white : bill nearly black ; iris 

 hazel ; legs, toes, and membranes brownish grey. Total length 

 14*5 inches, wing 7-25, tail 3, cidmen 1"G, tarsus 14. 



Fonale. General colour of the upper jmrts dark brown, each 

 feather with reddish -brown edges ; upper part of the head darker 

 than the sides, which are whitish, thickly speckled with black ; a 

 black line behind the eyes ; chin and throat whitish ; the feathers 

 of the back and scapulars with two narrow transverse bars of buffy 

 brown ; underparts whitish, with a reddish tinge on the breast, 

 each feather, except those of the belly, with obscure dark centres : 

 wiug as in the male, but somewhat duller. 



Young in first plumage closely resembles the female, but the 

 wing-coverts have pale edgings, and the dark centres of the feathers 

 appear also on the belly. 



Males in moulting plumage resemble the adult females. 



''NestUnr/ is yellowishwhite on the underparts, buff on the forehead 

 and throat ; a dark brown streak from the forehead to the crown, 

 which, with the upper parts, is brown ; a dark loral streak, and two 

 other streaks from behind the eye to the nape, on each side" 

 (TarreU). 



Hah. The Palaearctic Region, wintering in Northern Africa as 

 far south as Shoa, in Arabia, Persia, India, Ceylon, Burmah, China, 

 and Japan ; accidentally in Greenland, and along the Atlantic coast 

 of North America. 



a, h. cJ 2 ad. st. Gt. Britain. Purchased, 



c. S ad. sk. Gt. Britain. Yarrell Coll. 



d-f/. 5 ad. et pull. Ku-kwall. Purchased. 



"st. 



h. (S ad. sk. N. Uist. H. J. Elwes, Esq. 



[P.]. 



i. cJ ad. sk. Nairnshire, N.B., March. H. F. JRose, Esq. [P.]. 



k. 2 '^d. sk. St. Andrew's, Fifeshire, Aug. Tweeddale Coll. 



(R. G. W. K). 



I. S ad. -sk. R. Eden, St. Andrew s, Sept. Tweeddale Coll. 



{11. a. w. JR.). 



m. 2 ad. st. Carmarthen. Montagu Coll. 



n. Ad. st. [isahel- Pembrokeshire. Earl of Cawdor [P.]. 



line var!\ 

 o,p. (5 5 ad. St. Merton, Norfolk, Mav. Lord \Val:::iugham 



[P.]. 

 q, r. (S $ ad. st. Tring, Herts, Mav. Hon. ^V alter Eoth- 



schild [P.^. 

 s,t. cS 2 ad. sk. Avington, Feb. {R. B. S. ^- R. I^owdler Sharpe, 

 G. £. Shelley). Esq. [P.]. 



