THE KEDSTART. 461 



and wing -coverts than normal females and thus approach somewhat 

 to plumage of first winter male. 



Nestling. — Down dark grey, fairly long. Distribution, inner 

 and outer supra -orbital, occipital, spinal and humeral. Mouth 

 inside pale orange, no spots ; externally flanges yellowish -white. 



Juvenile. Male and female. — Feathers of fore-head, crown, 

 nape, mantle and scapulars with grey bases (mostly concealed) 

 brown edges and blackish tips with pale ochreous-butj spots above 

 the black ; rump chestnut -buff, feathers narrowly tipped black ; 

 upper tail-coverts as adult ; sides of neck and under-parts pale 

 buff to dull white, feathers tipped dark brown, centre of belly paler 

 and with very little brown on tips ; under tail-coverts pale buff ; 

 under wing-coverts pale buff to whitish ; axillaries darker buff ; 

 tail and wing -feathers and primary -coverts as adult female ; greater 

 coverts as adult female but edgings and tips usually rather paler 

 and more conspicuous ; median and lesser coverts dark brown 

 with wedge-shaped tips buff narrowly edged with blackish. 



First winter. Male. — Like adult male but feathers of upper- 

 parts with broader brown tips, which conceal black of fore-head 

 band and white of fore-head and most of grey of crown, mantle 

 and scapulars ; white of superciliary stripe much concealed by 

 brown tips ; black of lores, chin, throat and ear-coverts much 

 concealed (sometimes almost entirely concealed) by whitish tips ; 

 primaries, secondaries, primary -coverts and greater coverts as 

 adult female but innermost one or two greater coverts black with 

 greyer tips as in adult male ; median and lesser coverts as adult 

 male but with less french-grey. The juvenile body -feathers, 

 lesser and median wing-coverts and innermost two (sometimes 

 only one) greater coverts are moulted July-Sept., but not remiges, 

 rectrices, primary -co verts nor rest of greater wing -co verts. 

 Summer. — No moult. Abrasion causes same changes as in adult 

 male but french-grey of crown, mantle and scapulars never becomes 

 so pure, part of brown tips of feathers remaining, black of chin 

 and throat also has remains of whitish tips, wing -feathers are 

 browner and unmoulted greater coverts have no french-grey. 



First winter and summer. Female. — Not definitely distinguish- 

 able from adult female. 



Measurements and structure. — ^ wing 74-82 mm., tail 51-58, 

 tarsus 20-23, bill from skull 14-15 (12 measured). $ wing 71-79. 

 Primaries : 1st 2-8 mm. longer than primary-coverts, 3rd and 4th 

 longest, 5th 1-3 shorter, 2nd 7-10 shorter, 6th 6-9 shorter ; 3rd 

 to 5th emarginated outer webs. Secondaries shorter than lOtli 

 primary, tips somewhat square. Tail fairly square but outermost 

 feathers shorter than rest, 12 feathers, tips sloped off. Bill fine 

 but flattish at base, tip of upper mandible slightly curved and 

 projecting beyond lower. Nostrils partially covered by membrane 

 but not by feathers. Some fine nasal and rictal bristles. 



Soft parts. — Bill, legs and feet black ; iris dark brown. 



