VOL. X.] MOULTS OF BRITISH PASSERES. 1:5:3 

 Red-backed Sheike [Laniiis c. coUnrio). 



Adults.- — So far as 1 can ascertain the adults have only 

 one moult. The body-feathers often commence as early as 

 July, but the wing- and tail-feathers and the rest of the body- 

 feathers usually do not moult until December to February 

 and the moult is sometimes not complete until March. I 

 think this must be regarded as one moult, though it is inter- 

 rupted and spread over a long period. The female has a 

 browner and less grey crown and nape than the male and 

 a browner and less chestnut mantle, the rump also is brown 

 and the under-parts are white without any pink and with 

 the breast, flanks and sides of throat marked with black- 

 brown crescentic bands, the tail-feathers are brown with 

 narrow white tips and white borders to the outermost 

 feathers, thus being very different to the black and white tail 

 of the male. 



JuvENn^E. — The whole upper-jiarts are buff to rufous, 

 closely barred with black crescentic bands and the mider- 

 parts cream-coloured similarly barred except the chin, 

 middle of belly and imder tail-coverts which have few bars ; 

 the tail-feathers are much like those of the adult female, but 

 with distinct dark penultimate lines, the wing-coverts and 

 innermost secondaries have blackish crescentic bands. 

 Sexes alike. 



First m^lnter.- — Most of the juvenile body-feathers and 

 lesser and median wing-coverts are moulted from July to 

 September, but a varying number of juvenile body-feathers 

 and wing-coverts are retained as well as the primary-coverts, 

 wing- and tail-feathers and iisually the greater coverts. In 

 this plumage there seems to be no sexual difference, and the 

 birds much resemble the adult female, but the crown and 

 rump are more rufous and most of the feathers of the upper- 

 parts as well as the wing-coverts and innermost secondaries 

 have black crescentic bands. As compared to the juvenile, 

 the plumage is not nearly so much barred and the upper- 

 parts are darker and more rufous-brown. 



First summer. — The first winter plumage together with 

 the remaining juvenile feathers are completely moulted, 

 including all the wing- and tail-feathers, from November to 

 February. After this moult the male becomes indistinguish- 

 able from the adult male, but the female differs from the 

 adult female in having a varying number of feathers of the 

 upper-parts, wing-coverts and innermost secondaries with black 

 concentric bands. 



