52 



Allen's naturalist's library. 



Adult Male. — General colour above delicate pearly-grey, the 

 wing-coverts like the back ; the greater series slightly edged 

 with white at the ends ; primary-coverts grey with white shafts 

 and broad white tips ; primaries white with a sub-terminal band 

 of black of irregular shape, the first primary black along the 

 outer web ; inner primaries and outer secondaries grey with 

 white ends and outer webs ; remainder of secondaries pure 

 white, except the innermost, which are grey, broadly tipped 

 with white ; lower rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail pure white ; 

 head all round black, with a spot of white above and below the 

 eye ; hind neck, sides of neck, and entire under surface of body 

 pure white, including the under wing-coverts and axillaries ; 

 "bill orange, with a black band at the angle; tarsi and toes 

 greenish-yellow, the webs orange " {H. Saunders). Total 

 length, 29 inches: culmen, 2'7 ; wing, 19*5; tail, 7*65; 

 tarsus, 3-35. 



Adult Female, — Similar to the male, but smaller ; " iris deep 

 brown ; edge of eyelids bright red, with a conspicuous white 

 patch on each lid ; bill wax-yellow, the gape and terminal third 

 dull crimson, with a transverse sub-terminal black band ; feet 

 dull Indian yellow, the claws black " {A, O. Hume). Total 

 length, 23 inches; wing, 18-2. 



Adult in Winter Plumage. — Lacks the black head of the 

 summer dress, the head being white, mottled more or less 

 with blackish streaks and bases to the feathers. Mr. Saunders 

 says that the black head is often assumed by the middle of 

 February, and the moult of the primaries is then completed. 



Young. — Brown above, mottled with grey or darker brown, 

 and with greyish-white edges to the feathers ; greater wing- 

 coverts ashy-grey with dark brown centres, and white tips and 

 edges to the inner webs ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts and 

 quills black, ashy-whitish along the inner web ; secondaries 

 blackish, with white shafts and with white along the edge of the 

 inner webs, and greyish or white along the outer web ; lower 

 rump, upper tail-coverts, and tail white, with a broad black 

 band at the end occupying more than the terminal third of the 

 feather ; the rump and upper tail-coverts spotted with brown : 



