450 



A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



from nostrils, over and behind eye extending to nape pale cream ; 

 lores and ear-coverts brown to rufous-broAvn ; chin and sides of 

 throat whitish with a line of dark brown feathers forming a some- 



1. The British Stonechat (Saxicola t. hibernans). 2. The Wliinchat {S. r. rubetra). 

 Adult females. 



what ill-defined moustachial stripe ; throat buff ; breast and flanks 

 deeper rufous-buff, feathers with pale buff tips and those of breast 

 with varying number of black-brown mesial streaks and spots 

 (sometimes altogether absent) ; belly and under tail-coverts pale 

 buff ; axillaries buffish-white to white with greyish-black bases 

 and inner webs ; under wing-coverts greyish-black with buffish- 

 white to white tips ; tail : central pair with basal quarter, and 

 rest with basal half, white, distal portions brown-black with 

 pale buff edgings and tips and most of outer web of outer pair 

 whitish ; primaries brown-black, outer webs and tips narrowly 

 edged buff to pale buff, inner webs edged white or pale buff extending 

 at extreme base to outer webs but concealed by primary-coverts 

 except in 6th to 9th primaries in which it usually shows beyond 

 coverts ; secondaries same but more broadly edged on outer webs 

 and onlj/ innermost three with white at base of outer webs : primary- 

 coverts basal half or more white or buffish-white, distal part 

 brown-black edged and tipped pale buff ; greater wing-coverts 

 black narrowly edged and tipped pale buff, innermost four white 

 with varying amount of black, edged buff at tips and on outer 

 webs ; median and lesser coverts black with narrow buff edges and 

 tips, about iimer half with varying amount of white and some of 

 innermost usually entirely white. This plumage is acquired by 

 complete moult July-Sept. Summer. — A moult involving the 

 body-feathers and usually all lesser wing-coverts but not always 

 the outermost, median coverts (except the outermost), three or 

 four innermost greater coverts, exceptionally two or three inner- 

 most secondaries, but not rest of coverts or wing-feathers nor any 

 primary-coveits or tail-feathers takes place Feb. -Mar. Upper- 

 parts as wdnter ; superciliary stripe broad and white ; moustachial 

 stripe blacker and more defined ; chin and line down sides of throat, 

 broadening to a patch at sides of base of neck, pure white ; throat. 



