116 A PKACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



axillaries pale yellow ; tail black-brou-n very narrowly fringed buff, 

 and at base more broadly yellowish, outermost pair with faint 

 indication of wedge-sliaped mark ; wing-feathers black-brown very 

 narrowly edged buff, inner secondaries broadly fringed huffish or 

 chestnut-bro^\'n ; greater coverts fringed and tipped buff ; median 

 coverts tipped whitish -buff ; lesser coverts chestnut and broA\'n, 

 tipped buff. This plumage is acquired by a complete moult 

 from July to Nov. or Dec. Summer. — No moult. Abrasion of 

 tips of feathers gradually makes head entirely black, mantle 

 uniform chestnut, and under-parts bright canary-yellow, narrow 

 yellow collar at back of neck and chestnut patches on breast 

 more prominent. 



Adult female. Winter. — Crown bro\v-n, streaked black ; mantle 

 brov^Ti and chestnut-brown, lightly streaked black-brown ; scapulars 

 mostly brown without chestnut ; rump as in male, but duller ; 

 ear-coverts brown ; under-parts paler and more buff than in male ; 

 axillaries buffish-white, tinged yellow. Summer. — ^Mantle becomes 

 rather more uniform chestnut-broA^-n, but never so bright and 

 uniform as in male, and under-parts become yellower but never 

 so bright as in male. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. — CroMH sandy-buff, with short streaks or spots of 

 black ; mantle broadly streaked broAAH-black, feathers broadly 

 edged and tipped buff ; rump and upper tail-coverts sandy-buff, 

 lightly streaked brown -black ; ear-coverts sandy -buff ; chin, throat, 

 and belly pale buff ; breast and flanks rather darker, with sometimes 

 a few narrow brown streaks ; under tail-coverts buffish-yellow ; 

 axillaries buff, tinged yellow ; tail- and wing-feathers as adult but 

 with broader buff fringes ; inner secondaries and all wing-coverts 

 broadly fringed and tipped sandy-buff. 



First winter and summer. Male. — Like adult and apparently 

 indistinguishable, though some specimens A^ith brown feathers 

 amongst chestnut of mantle and brownish- or yellowish-buff 

 ear-coverts may be first-summer birds, though undoubtedly adults 

 sometimes have such feathers. The juvenile plumage is completely 

 (including wings and tail) moulted in June-Dec. Female.- — Differs 

 from adult in croAMi and mantle being bro\vn, streaked black-brown ; 

 rump tinged greenish -yellow ; throat and breast pale buff ; flanks 

 rather darker ; centre of belly tinged yellow ; under tafl-coverts 

 yellow as adult ; axillaries whitish-buff. 



Measurements and structure. — (^ wing 92-98 mm., tail 70-74, 

 tarsus 21-23, bill from skull 13-15 (12 measured). ? wing 84-90. 

 Primaries : 1st minute and hidden, 3rd usually longest, 2nd 

 and 4th as long or 1-2 mm. shorter, 5th 4-5 shorter, 6th 10-12 

 shorter ; 3rd to 5th emarginated outer webs. Other structure as 

 E. citrinella. 



Soft parts. — Bill : lead -blue, imder mandible greyer ; legs and 

 feet dark flesh ; iris broAMi. 



