Birds of Albany Division, Cape Colomj. 109 



Throat, chin, lower chest, abdomen, thiohs, tail-coverts, fore- 

 head, axillaries, and under wing-coverts still covered with 

 white down. Upper chest dark rufous. A patch of light 

 rufous on each side of breast gradually extending towards 

 abdomen. Primaries deep earth-brown; secondaries and 

 rectrices of the same deep earth-colour tipped with fawn- 

 grey. Top of head, hind-neck, back, and upper wing- 

 coverts deep earth-brown. Bill and claws dark horn; cere, 

 legs and toes yellow. Irides soft grey. 



'6rd Stage. — When three months old both sexes assume u 

 dull tobacco shade. 



4//i Stage. — At ten months many deep earth-brown feathers, 

 almost black, appear amongst the somewhat rufous feathering, 

 giving the bird a very patchy appearance; the irides then 

 change to a soft ochre. 



btJi Stage. — Adult plumage is assumed when about fifteen 

 months to two years of age by a moult extending over a 

 period of several months, the new feathers appearing singly 

 and irregularly. The full adult plumage is as follows: — 



Male : On either side of the forehead a small white patch 

 formed by the white bases of the feathers. The secondaries 

 are banded with grey, the basal half of inner web white, and 

 the tail is bright rufous with subterminal bands on some 

 feathers and blotches of deep earth-brown on others. Rest 

 of exposed portion of upper plumage with closed wings deep 

 earthy brown, almost black, only the dark tips of the 

 feathers showing. The feathers have white bases shading 

 into rufous at the junction with the dark tips, which are 

 mostly hidden by the overlapping feathers. Upper tail- 

 coverts faintly edged with rufous, and the unexposed white 

 bases are tinted with the same colour. The earth-brown 

 primaries have the inner web white as far as the emargina- 

 tion. The secondaries are a beautiful silver-grey when first 

 moulted, with narrow bands and broad tips of earth-brown. 

 The silver-grey fades into white as the plumage becomes 

 worn. Shafts of primaries white. Upper and under wing- 

 coverts and axillaries deep earth-brown. Chin and throat 

 white, extending by a narrow band to the rufous-coloured 



