THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 
shaded with pearl-grey on the breast and streaked with 
pale brown on the flanks. Bill black, paler below; 
tarsi and toes brown; irides brown. Length 6 inches. 
The female lacks the black head and throat, the former 
being brown, each feather with a paler margin. ‘The 
eye-stripe is pale buff; the throat is dirty white, and 
the breast and flanks are streaked with brown. ‘The 
nestling resembles the female in colour. After the 
autumn moult much of the conspicuous beauty of the 
male is concealed by the margin of pale brown that fringes 
all the black feathers. 
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