444 



A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



lores black, feathers tipped white ; line from nostrils over eye 

 white to cream ; ear-coverts pale brown to isabelline-brown 

 chin white to pale cream ; throat buffish-white to pale bnff ; breast 



1, The Isabelline Wheatenr (Qininthe isabellina) . 2. The GreeulaDil Wheatear {CE. ce. 

 leucorrhoa). Adult males. Showing- ditterence iu size of bills. 



and sides darker sandy to isabelline-buif ; centre of belly creamy- 

 white ; under tail-coverts pale buff ; under wing-coverts and 

 axillaries white with dusky bases ; tail-feathers brown -black 

 narrowly edged and tipped pale bufif to whitish with white bases 

 extending in central pair to about one-third but in rest to rather 

 more than half of length*; wing-feathers black-brown, tipped, and 

 outer webs edged, pale creamy- to isabelline-buff, narrowly on 

 primaries more broadly on secondaries, inner webs edged white ; 

 primary-coverts as primaries ; greater and median coverts brown 

 with broad buff to pale cream edgings and tips ; lesser coverts 

 paler brown with paler sandy tips. This plumage is acquired by 

 complete moult June-Aug. occasionally Sept. and Oct. Summer. — 

 A moult usually confined to body -feathers, but sometimes involving 

 a few lesser and median wing-coverts, and rarely one or two inner- 

 most greater coverts and secondaries, takes place Dec. -Feb. (some- 

 times starting Nov.). New plumage as winter. 



Adult female. Winter and sum,mer. — Like male and moults 

 same. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. — Like adult but upper-parts with more huffish 

 tinge and each feather with a faint pale mesial streak and very 

 narrow dark tip ; lores dusky with whitish tijis ; stripe from nostril 

 over eye dull cream very ill-defined ; chin and centre of throat 

 dull white ; sides of throat and breast buff, minutely freckled 

 dark brown, each feather having veiy narrow dark browTi tip ; 

 rest of under-parts pale buff ; tail- and wing-feathers, j)rimary- 

 co verts and greater wing -co verts as adult, but median and lesser 

 coverts with pale buff wedge-shaped spots at tips. 



First winter. — Like adults. The juvenile body -feathers, lesser 



* Measurements of black taken as in CE. ce. oenanthe are: ^ winter and 

 summer, central feathers 33-43 (never black to base in (J or $ at any age), 

 outermost 21-30 mm. 



