356 TAIiCONlDjE, 



qtdlls white inside except at the tip and the primaries for some 

 distance up each border ; all quills except first primaries with dark 

 cross-bands ; tail brown above, white-tipped, whitish below, \\'ith 

 dark cross-bands, generally 4 in number, the first concealed by the 

 coverts ; the inner webs of all rectrices except the middle pair 



Fig. 89.— Left foot of C. gallicus, f. 



partly white ; chin, throat, and upper breast brown like the back, 

 with dark shafts, some white at the base of the feathers generally 

 showing ; lower breast, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts white, with 

 a few brown subdistant spots or bars ; lower wing-coverts and 

 axillaries barred brown and white. 



In young birds the upper parts are paler; the head whitish 

 with dark shafts, and the white bases of the feathers conspicuous j 

 lower parts white, with brown shaft-streaks on chin, throat, and 

 upper breast, and a few scattered spots of hght brown or rufous on 

 the lower breast and abdomen. Birds of the second year have 

 the upper parts like adults, broad brown stripes on the throat 

 and breast, and more numerous brown spots than the nestlings on 

 the abdomen. 



Bill pale greyish blue, tip blackish ; cere whitish ; irides bright 

 orange-yellow ; legs and feet pale earthy greyish brown (Hume). 



Length of a male 26; tail 11*5 ; wing 21 : of a female — length 

 28 ; tail 13 ; wing 22 ; tarsus 3-75 ; bill from gape 2-3. 



Distribution. Central and Southern Europe, Northern Africa, 

 Central and South-western Asia, extending east to Northern 



