^'"^'i' 2u^'J CoLH, Plumage Changes of the Nankeen NiglU-lIeron. o 



bi'ginniiii^- to grow : L'\\'l)ro\\' ixilc l)ul't', slightly llcckfd with (hirk 

 lirown, becoming paler towards the. lores ; chin and throat pah; 

 buff ; k)wer tliroat pale buff ; ear coverts and cheeks pale bui'f 

 splashed with brown ; hind neck deep chestnut-red ; fore neck pale 

 buff heavily splashed with pale chestnut-red and dark brown, 

 giving a mottled appearance, base of feathers white ; breast white 

 splashed with brown ; abdomen white ; thighs (inner) white ; 

 thighs (outer) light reddish-brown, becoming white in the adult ; 

 flanks white splashed with brown ; back dark rich chocolate 

 (becoming a rich chestnut-red in the adult), the feathers, when 

 raised, showing a pale bluish-slate colour ; rump pale reddish- 

 brown splashed with pale bluish-slate, and slightly mottled ; 

 upper tail coverts deep chestnut-red, but not so distinctive in 

 colour as in the adult ; tail rich chestnut-red, as in the adult ; 

 under tail coverts white ; the whole of the humeral feathers, 

 lesser, medium, and greater wing coverts dark chocolate, showing 

 a tint of rich chestnut, a few feathers here and there being mottled ; 

 mantle similar ; primaries — outer webbing rich chestnut-red, as 

 in the adult, splashed dark chocolate at the tips, inner webbing 

 much paler ; secondaries vary in colour, some a rich chestnut-red, 

 others mottled, general colour under the wing, primaries, and 

 secondaries pale chestnut-red, tioted with bluish-slate, the smaller 

 feathers white splashed with pale chestnut-red (this bluish-slate 

 tint, so pronounced, passes off in the second moult) ; bare patch 

 in front of eyes pale green, with bluish tint ; rim of eyes pale 

 greenish-yellow ; irides deep straw-yellow ; upper mandible black, 

 with grey streak extending two-thirds along outer edge from 

 the base ; lower bluish-grey blotched with black ; legs and feet 

 pale green, with bluish tint ; toe-nails grey. 



(c.) Immature Plumage after the Second Moult. 



Forehead, crown and hinder cr(n\n black, quills black ; nape 

 black, a few feathers tinted a chestnut-red, the white nuchal 

 plumes are short and unattractive ; eyebrow white ; chin and 

 throat white ; ear coverts pale chestnut-red ; hind neck rich 

 chestnut-red splashed with black, a few feathers almost black ; 

 fore neck white, tinted with pale chestnut-red, the side feathers 

 pale chestnut-red ; chest pale chestnut-red, the side feathers much 

 darker ; breast white, a few feathers faintly tinted with chestnut- 

 red ; abdomen white ; thighs (inner) white ; thighs (outer) white, 

 tinted with chestnut-red ; under tail coverts white ; flanks white ; 

 rump chestnut-red, faintly splashed with bluish-brown ; upper 

 tail coverts chestnut-red ; tail rich chestnut-red, quills paler ; 

 back rich chestnut-red ; lesser, medium, and greater wing coverts 

 rich chestnut-red, quills paler ; primaries and secondaries rich 

 clKstnut-red, quills i)aler : bare patch in front of eyes pale green : 

 irides deep orange-yellow ; upper mandible black, the sides streaked 

 reddish-brown ; lower mandible greyish-buff, tipped black ; legs 

 and feet pale chrome-yellow ; toe-nails reddish-brown, tipped black. 



