H. F. WITHERBY: PLUMAGES. 103 



witli brownish-black shaft-stripes ; greater-coverts grey, with yellowish- 

 white tips and narrow blue-green edgings to the outer ones ; median 

 and lesser coverts French grey. 



FEMALE. Similar to the male, but with the tail-feathers more dull 

 coloured ; the outer webs of the primaries and secondaries greener and 

 duller, not so blue, and the prim,ary-coverts browner. 



First Winter- Plumage. Acquired by a complete moult, 

 with the exception of the remiges (two, and occasionally 

 three, of the innermost secondaries are moulted), primary- 

 coverts and rectrices. 



MALE. Forehead white ; crown bright blue, a black line running 

 from the base of the bill to and behind the eye ; superciliary stripe 

 white and continued round the nape in a narrow white band ; hind- 

 neck and sides of neck dark blue ; nuchal spot greyish-white ; m,antle, 

 scaptilars and back yellowish-green ; rump yellower green ; upper tail- 

 coverts blue ; ear-coverts, cheeks and sides of throat white ; a black 

 line in the centre of the throat (the feathers tipped with white), widening 

 at the base of the throat and passing backwards under the ear-coverts 

 and joining the blue of the sides of the neck ; breast, flanks and under 

 tail-coverts yellow ; middle of lower-breast and belly white, with a patch 

 of blackish-blue in the centre ; tail-feathers as in the Juvenile ; under 

 wing-coverts white ; axillaries pale yellow ; primaries and secondaries 

 as in the Juvenile, but the innermost secondaries tinged with blue and 

 with larger white tips ; primary -coverts as in the Juvenile ; greater- 

 coverts blue, tipped with white ; median and lesser -coverts blue. 



FEMALE. Considerably duller in coloration, especially in the 

 blue of the head, tail, primaries and wing -coverts, the secondaries greener 

 on the outer webs, the primary -coverts browner. 



First Summer-Plumage. Acquired by abrasion. 



MALE. The blue of the crown becomes brighter and the black of the 

 throat wider and more intense ; the tail-feathers, primaries, secondaries 

 and wing-coverts become bluer owing to the wearing off of the narrow 

 green fringes ; the white tips to the greater coverts become smaller. 



FEMALE. The blue of the crown and tail becomes brighter and the 

 black of the throat wider and more intense ; wing-feathers and primary- 

 coverts become browner ; the white tips to the greater coverts become 

 smaller. 



Adult Winter- Plumage. Acquired by a complete moult. 



MALE. Like that of the First Winter, but brighter, especially in 

 tlie blue of the crown, tail and wings ; the primary -coverts are bright 

 blue, and the outer webs of primaries and secondaries are much bluer, 

 the innermost secondaries are of a brighter blue. 



FEMALE. Brighter and bluer than the First Winter, but not so 

 Ijright as the adult male, and the primary-coverts and outer webs of 

 the secondaries more greenish-blue than the adult male. 



Adult Summer- Plum age. Acquired by abrasion. 



MALE AND FEMALE. The blue of the crown, wings and tail becomes 

 brighter and the black of the throat wider. 



