414 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



greater coverts as secondaries ; median and lesser coverts same 

 but with more whitish and broader fringes. This plumage is 

 acquired by comjDlete moult July-Sept. Summer. — No moult. 

 Abrasion has considerable effect, whole plumage becoming browner 

 and less black, pale fringes to feathers of upper-parts gradually 

 wear off, so that by May upper-parts are usually uniform ; onunder- 

 parts whitish fringes mostlj^ wear off except in centre of breast and 

 belly and under tail-coverts, gorget becomes markedly white and 

 very striking. 



Adult female. Winter — Browner than male ; fringes to feathers 

 of upper-jjarts broader and browner ; fringes to feathers of chin 

 and throat broader and whiter ; gorget narrower and duller, feathers 

 Avith darker and broader fringes making gorget often inconspicuous ; 

 usually with some under tail-coverts with whitish mesial streaks, 

 not confuied to shafts as is almost invariable in adult male. 

 Moult as male. Summer. — Browner than male ; upper-parts not 

 so uniform, fringes not wearing off entirely ; chin and throat still 

 with small whitish fringes ; gorget much duller and less white than 

 in male, and feathers still with remains of brown tij^s. 



Nestling. — Down, -pale buff. Distribution, inner supra-orbital, 

 occipital, humeral, ulnar and spinal (from half -feathered skin). 



Juvenile. — Upper-parts still browner than female with tips of 

 feathers more rusty-brown, scaj)ulars with white shaft-lines and 

 varying numbers of feathers of mantle and naj)e with pale or whitish 

 shaft-lines ; chin and centre of throat pale buff, feathers tipped 

 black-brown ; rest of under-parts black-brown, feathers barred 

 with buff or white but those of upper-breast frequently with whitish 

 centres and buff tips and not barred (no trace of gorget) ; under tail- 

 coverts with white shaft-lines and often wider mesial streaks and pale 

 buff tips ; tail and wing -feathers browner and edgings of wing- 

 feathers and greater coverts more cream-coloured, not so whitish : 

 inner greater coveits with small whitish mesial fleck at tip ; median 

 and lesser wing-coverts dark brown edged rusty-brown and white 

 to cream shaft-lines broadening at tip. 



First winter. Male. — Like adult male and frequently difficult 

 to elistinguish, but sometimes gorget rather duller and feathers of 

 chin with broader fringes and under tail-coverts often with whitish 

 mesial streaks as in aelult female ; outer (unmoulted) greater coverts 

 browner than rest and usuallyone of the innermost of these unmoulted 

 feathers with a whitish mesial fleck at tip. Some individuals appear 

 to have none of these distinctions and are indistinguishable from 

 adults. The juvenile body -feathers, lesser and median wing-coverts 

 and varying number of inner greater coverts are moulted Aug.- 

 Sept., but not wing- or tail-feathers, primary -co verts, nor rest of 

 greater wing-coverts. Summer. — Owing to wearing off of fringes 

 of feathers usually indistinguishable from adults, but occasionally 

 mesial streaks at tips of greater coverts are still well marked. 



