VOL. jx.j MOULTS OF BRITISH PASSEKES. 241 



tlie rest of the wings nor the tail. After this moult the 

 birds appear to become like the adults. 



Black-headed Bunting {Emberka melanoccpliala). 



Adults. — Complete moult from July to November or 

 December. No moult in spring. Abrasion in the male (it 

 has little effect in the female) makes the head entirely black, 

 this colour being almost obsciired in winter by the buff-broA\ n 

 tips of the feathers, the mantle also becomes miiform chestnut 

 and the under-parts much brighter yellow. The adult female 

 tliffers from the male chiefly in having the crown brown 

 streaked with black, the mantle browner (not so chestnut) 

 and more streaked and the under-parts paler and more 

 buffish-Nellow. 



Juvenile. — Differs considerably from both adults, the 

 crown being sandy-buff with small streaks or spots of black, 

 the rest of the upper-parts buff streaked with blackish and 

 the under-parts jDale buff. The tail- and wing-feathers have 

 buff fringes and the inner secondaries and wing-coverts 

 considerably broader fringes. Sexes alike. 



First winter and summer. — The juvenile body-feathers. 

 A\ing-coverts and inner secondaries are moulted in late 

 summer (sometimes as early as Jime) or early autumn. The 

 male is then apparently indistinguishal)le from the adult male, 

 N.B. — Some males with brown feathers amongst the chestnut 

 ones on the mantle and brownish ear-coverts may be first 

 summer birds, but adult males inidoubtedly also sometimes 

 have such feathers. The female differs from the adult female 

 in having the crown broAvner and not so dark, the mantle 

 brown not so chestnut, and the rump not so chestnut, the 

 throat and breast pale buff with a tinge of yellow in the 

 centre of the belly. 



Yellow -breasted Bunting {Emberiza aunola). 



Adults. — Complete moult in early autumn. In April 

 and May a partial moult confined to the head takes place. 

 In the male the new feathers of the fore-head, lores, ear- 

 coverts and chin are jet-black in place of the winter chestnut 

 fore-head and yellow chin. In the female the crown becomes 

 more chestnut than in winter and the chin ])uffish-A\hite 

 instead of yellow. Abrasion especially affects the male, 

 the upper-parts becoming gradually almost uniform pinkish- 

 chestnut, while the breast-band and dark streaks on the 

 Hanks become more prominent. 



JuvENiLE.^ — Resembling the adult female but the cro^n 

 browner, the mantle more heavily streaked, the nnup 



