90 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITTSH BIRDS. 



Description. — Adult male. Winter. — ^Like that of L. c. curvirostra 

 but pink everywhere more brilHant and more uniform ; tail fringed 

 white on outer and inner webs and tips, with pink tinge on outer 

 webs ; primaries and secondaries narrowly fringed pinkish-white 

 on outer webs, and narrowly (four inner secondaries broadly) 

 tipped white ; primary-coverts as primaries ; greater coverts 

 broadly tipped white with pink tinge (innermost feathers with 

 distal half white) ; median coverts white, with only bases dark 

 bro\\'n ; lesser coverts tipped pinkish-white or pink. This plumage 

 is acquired by complete moult in autumn. Summer. — Abrasion 

 makes carmine still more brilliant ; fringes of tail and wings gradu- 

 ally wear off, and white of wing-coverts becomes much reduced 

 by wear. 



Adult femule. Winter and summer. — Like that of L. c. 

 curvirostra but rump paler and brighter yellow, not so greenish ; 

 feathers of crown and mantle ^^'ith paler fringes and darker 

 centres, giving rather more streaked appearance, especially in 

 worn summer-plumage ; tliroat- and breast-feathers with dark 

 bro\\-n centres ; upper tail-coverts tipped yellowish-white ; tail- 

 and Aving-feathers and wing-coverts like those of male but tinged 

 yellow instead of pink. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. — Like that of L. c. curvirostra but tail- and wing- 

 feathers fringed yellowish - white as in adult female ; inner 

 secondaries, greater and median coverts, with rather smaller 

 white tips than in adults. 



First winter and summer. Male. — ^As in L. c. curvirostra — a 

 mixture of crimson and yellow but colours paler and brighter ; 

 mantle and scapulars dark brown, tipped crimson or yellow ; 

 fringes of tail- and wing-feathers yellowish ; tips of inner secondaries 

 and greater coverts smaller than in adult, and tinged yellow 

 instead of pink. The juvenile body-feathers, median and lesser 

 wing-coverts, are moulted in autumn but not remiges or rectrices 

 and not apparently greater coverts. 



Measurements and structure. — ^ wing 87-99 mm., tail 57-66, 

 tarsus 15-17, bill depth at base 10-11, length of upper mandible 

 from feathers 16-17 (10 measured). $ wing 85-91. Primaries: 

 1st minute and hidden, 3rd longest, 2nd and 4th sometimes as long 

 but usually 1-3 mm. shorter, 5th 4-6 shorter, 6th 14-17 shorter ; 

 3rd to 5th emarginated outer webs. Longest secondaries between 

 9th and 10th primaries. Bill like L. c. curvirostra but finer, and 

 tips usually more elongated and sharper. 



Soft parts. — Like L. c. curvirostra. 



Characters and allied forms. — Double white wing-bar dis- 

 tinguishes at glance all forms of L. leucoptera from all forms of 

 L. curvirostra at all ages. L. I. elegans (Siberia) is doubtfully 

 distinct as more brilliant form of Scandinavian bird, L. I. leucoptera 



