460' A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



cealed but showing somewhat on fore-head and especially at sides 

 of crown, over and behind eye and thus forming a superciliary 

 stripe ; rest of crown, nape, mantle and scapulars french-grey, 

 feathers tipped reddish-brown much concealing the grey, especially 

 on mantle and scapulars ; rump and upper tail-coverts bright 

 chestnut (latter rather darker) ; lores black ; chin and ear-coverts 

 same, but some feathers tipped white ; whole throat extending 

 to sides of neck black, feathers tipped white ; breast and flanks 

 j)ale chestnut, feathers tipped white ; belly white ; under tail- 

 coverts rufous-buff ; under wing-coverts and axillaries pale chest- 

 nut ; tail : central pair black- brown with bases and most of 

 outer webs chestnut, rest chestnut, sometimes with some dark 

 brown at tips of outer webs ; primaries and secondaries black- 

 brown, outer webs narrowly edged brown on outer, and buffish- 

 white on inner, webs, imiermost secondaries more broadly edged 

 and tipped pale rufous-brown, often with a little french-grey 

 on outer webs ; primary-coverts black-brown with narrow grey- 

 brown edgings and tips ; greater coverts same with broader and 

 greyer edgings and more rufous tips ; median coverts with more 

 distinctly french-grey edgings and rufous tips ; lesser coverts 

 tipj)ed and edged french-grey. This plumage is acquired by com- 

 plete moult from July to Sept. Summer. — No moult. Abrasion 

 of tips of feathers gradually causes marked changes. Fore-head 

 and varying amount of fore-part of crown become pure white ; 

 rest of crown, mantle and scapulars pure french-grey ; whole 

 throat, ear-coverts and sides of neck black ; breast and flanks 

 uniform chestnut ; wing-feathers and greater coverts paler brown 

 and edgings mostly worn off ; median coverts fringed grey with 

 no rufous tips and lesser coverts grej^er. 



Adult female. Winter. — Fore-head, crown, mantle and 

 scapulars brown, feathers of fore-head with concealed creamy- 

 white spots at their bases ; rump and upper tail-coverts as male 

 but not quite so bright ; lores, ear-coverts, and feathers round 

 eyes buff-brown ; chin and whole throat pale buff to whitish, 

 mottled brown especially on sides of throat ; breast and flanks 

 orange-buff to orange-brown (the orange tint varying in intensity), 

 feathers tipped whitish ; belly dull white ; under tail-coverts, 

 under wing-coverts and axillaries buff ; tail as male ; wing-feathers 

 and primary-coverts as male but rather browner and with no grey 

 on inner secondaries ; greater and median coverts dark brown 

 with rufous-brown edgings and tips ; lesser coverts same but 

 with long grey-brown tips. Summer. — Abrasion causes no marked 

 changes as in male, but fore-head often shows some creamy -white, 

 crowia and mantle become greyer-bro^vn, breast and flanks brighter 

 owing to wearing off of whitish tips of feathers. N.B. — Exception- 

 ally adult females have feathers of throat black with white tips, 

 a good deal of white on fore-head and are greyer on upper-parts 



