114 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



brown, inner webs fringed white, outer webs of outer primaries 

 fringed white, and of inner primaries and secondaries greenish- 

 browTi ; innermost secondaries and greater coverts broadly- 

 fringed and tipped chestnut-bro^\'n ; median coverts same, but 

 tips whitish ; lesser coverts greyish-bro\vn. This plumage is 

 acquired by complete moult in early autumn. Summer. — ^A 

 partial moult apparently confined to regions of lores and ear-coverts 

 and few feathers of white " bib " takes place in Feb. and March, 

 new feathers of ear-coverts and line under eye and in centre of lores 

 being pure white ; otherwise no moult, but abrasion gradually 

 makes centre of croun pure white bordered with greyish-black ; 

 chin and throat uniform pinkish-cliestnut with white " bib " below 

 chestnut ; breast and flanks more brownish-chestnut and always 

 Avith some white tips. 



Adult female. Winter. — Like male but w^hole crown streaked 

 black with buffish-brown edgings and only bases of feathers in 

 centre part whitish ; lores and eye-stripe huffish with a little 

 chestnut near base of feathers ; ear-coverts brown with creamy patch 

 on sides of neck ; chin and throat pale buff, spotted dark brown and 

 with varying amount of chestnut (sometimes absent) at bases of 

 feathers ; small creamy patch in place of white " bib " of male ; 

 breast and flanks streaked blackish and with little chestnut. 

 Summer. — Same moult as male, but this and abrasion cause little 

 change. Centre of cro\vn becomes greyer, and dark spots on tliroat 

 and streaks on breast become more prominent and chestnut more 

 marked when present. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. — ^Much like winter female, but with only indication 

 of pale bases to feathers of centre of crown ; rump brownish- 

 chestnut, streaked black ; rest of upper-parts more tawny than 

 Avinter female ; throat whitish, streaked black ; breast and flanks 

 tawny-buff, streaked black-brown ; under tail-coverts rufous- 

 chestnut in one specimen, buffish-white with fine dark mesial 

 streaks in another. 



First winter and summer. — ^Apparently like adults. The juvenile 

 body-plumage and lesser and median wing-coverts are moulted 

 in autumn but apparently not rest of wings nor tail. 



Measurements and structure. — (^ wing 90-95 mm., tail 73-79, 

 tarsus 19-20.5, bfll from skull 10.5-12 (12 measured). $ wmg 82-91. 

 Primaries : 1st minute and hidden, 3rd and 4th usually equal and 

 longest, 2nd and 5th 1-3 mm. shorter, 6th 6-8 shorter ; 3rd to 6th 

 emarginated outer webs. Other structure as E. citrinella. 



Soft parts. — Bill : upper dark brown, lower j)ale browTi ; legs 

 and feet yellowish -broAvn ; iris dark brown. 



Characters and allied species. — No subspecies recognized. White 

 bases to feathers of centre of crown distinguish adult male and female, 

 latter being much like E. citrinella with all yellow replaced by white. 



