THE SEDGE-WARBLER. 347 



dark shaft -lines ; broad and distinct stripe from nostrils, over and 

 behind eye pale cream-colour ; centre of lores dusky ; ear -coverts 

 yelloAvish -brown ; chin, centre of throat and centre of breast and 

 belly white or whitish-cream, breast and sides of throat and under 

 tail-coverts pale buff to tawny-buff ; exceptionally with a few 

 dusky spots on sides and base of throat and upper-breast ; flanks 

 darker and more tawny ; axillaries and under wing-coverts white 

 or whitish-cream with dusky centres ; tail-feathers dark brown 

 narrowly edged pale brown ; wing-feathers blackish-brown narrowly 

 edged on inner webs whitish and outer webs pale brown, tips 

 whitish-brown, innermost secondaries broadly edged pale brown ; 

 primarj^-coverts blackish-brown with very narrow edges and tips 

 of pale brown ; rest of wing-coverts same but with broad edges and 

 tips. This plumage is acquired by complete moult July-Aug. 

 Summer. — A complete moult (including wings and tail) takes place 

 Jan. -April. New plumage as winter but dark streaks on mantle 

 rather less prominent and never with spots at base of throat or on 

 upper-breast but occasionally with a few spots on sides of throat. 



Nestling. — Down absent. Mouth, inside orange-yellow, two 

 black oblong spots situated laterally on tongue-spurs, externally 

 flanges pale yellow. 



Juvenile. — ^Resembling adult but edgings of feathers of upper- 

 parts paler and more yellowish -brown especially noticeable on 

 crown ; back, rump and upper tail-coverts more yellowish, less 

 tawny ; sides and base of throat and upper-breast more or less 

 spotted, feathers having small dusky-brown tips ; sides, flanks and 

 under tail-coverts usually less tawny than adult, but this varies 

 in shade. 



First winter. — Somewhat intermediate between juvenile and 

 adult. Dark streaks on mantle more prominent than in juvenile 

 or adult ; brown of uj^per-parts not usually quite so pale and 

 yellowish as in juvenile but distinctly more yellowish than in adult ; 

 base of throat and vipper-breast usually spotted as in juvenile but 

 occasionally without spots ; under-parts (allowing for variation) 

 usually paler than in adult. The juvenile body-plumage is moulted 

 July-Sept., but apparently not wing-coverts and not wing- or 

 tail-feathers. Slimmer. — Moult as in adult after which resembles 

 adult. 



Measurements and structure. — ^ wing 63-71 mm., tail 47-55, 

 tarsus 21-22.5, bill from skull 13-15 (12 measured). $ wing 63-70. 

 Primaries : 1st minute, 1-7 mm. shorter than longest primary- 

 covert, 3fd longest, 2nd 1-2 shorter or equal to 3rd, 4th 1-4 shorter, 

 5th 4-6 shorter, 6th 7-8 shorter ; 3rd emarginated on outer web ; 

 2nd with a notch on inner web falling between tips of 7th and 9th 

 primaries. Tail rounded, 12 feathers, central pair longest, rest 

 graduated, outermost being 4-8 mm. shorter than central, tips of 

 feathers inclined to be pointed. Under tail-coverts about three- 

 fourths as long as outer tail-feathers. Bill rather finer than in 



