THE BLACKBIRD. 419 



mantle than crown and broadest on scapulars ; back, rump and 

 upper tail -coverts bJack-brown usually with some mesial rufous 

 streaks on back, and tips of upper tail-coverts often rufous ; chin 

 and centre of throat rufous-buff to whitish-buff, feathers with 

 faint dark brown tips, sides of throat and cheeks with larger black- 

 brown tips forming somewhat ill -defined moustachial stripes ; 

 lower -throat, breast and flanks rufous-buff, feathers with black- 

 brown tips ; belly rather paler and less rufous with few dark tips ; 

 under tail-coverts brown-black with pale shaft-streaks and rufous 

 tips ; under wing-coverts and axillaries rufous-buff ; tail slightly 

 browner-black than adult ; wing-feathers and primary -coverts 

 almost as brown as in adult female ; greater wing-coverts with 

 dark umber outer webs and pale, somewhat rufous, tips, and inner 

 five or six feathers with pale rufous distal shaft-streaks ; median 

 and lesser wing-coverts same but with much broader wedge-shaped 

 rufous marks at tips extending up shafts. Female. — Like male 

 but upper-parts less dark, tail browner, wing-feathers considerably 

 browner and markings on wing-coverts usually less rufescent and 

 less striking but intensity of rufous both in these markings and in 

 under-parts varies greatly in individuals of both sexes. 



First winter and summer. Male. — Like adult male but browner, 

 not so jet-black, some feathers of crown usually, and often some 

 of mantle, with inconspicuous browniish edgings and most feathers of 

 under-parts with more marked brownish or greyish edgings and 

 often with pale shaft -streaks, chin and upper-throat sometimes 

 with conspicuous grey edgings and occasionally gre}^ Avith dark 

 streaks almost as in female ; wing-feathers and primary -co verts 

 browner than in adult male and unmoulted outer greater coverts 

 conspicuously browner (and with pale tips) than new and black 

 inner ones. The juvenile body-feathers, lesser and median wing- 

 coverts and varying number of inner greater coverts are moulted 

 Aug. -Oct. (occasionally extending to Nov.-Dec), but not tail, 

 Anng -feathers or outer greater coverts. 



First winter and summer. Female. — Like adult and often 

 difficult to distinguish biit upper-parts usually not quite so dark, 

 Avings rather broA\aier and usually unmoulted outer greater coverts 

 distinctly paler (and with pale tips) than ncAV and dark umber 

 inner ones. 



Measurements and structure.—^ wing 120-132 mm., tail 95-110. 

 tarsus 32-34, biU from skull 23-27 (12 measured). $ wing 121-126. 

 Primaries : 1st 3-7 mm. shorter than (exceptionally as long as) 

 primary -coverts, 4th and 5th longest, but 5th occasionally 1-2 

 shorter, 3rd often as long but usually 1-3 shorter, 6th 4-7 shorter, 

 2nd 11-16 shorter, usually betAveen 6th and 7th, occasionaUy equal 

 to but rarely shorter than 7th ; 3rd to 6th emarginated outer 

 AA'ebs. Outermost tail-feathers 6-10 shorter than rest, 12 feathers. 

 Other structure as in White's Thrush. 



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