THE NIGHTINGALE. 469 



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

 causes no marked differences but upper-parts become rather paler. 



Nestling. — Dowai greyish-black. Distribution, fairly long and 

 plentiful on imier suj)ra-orbital, occipital and spinal, shorter and 

 more scanty on outer supra -orbital, humeral and ulnar, filaments 

 sometimes on femoral tracts. Mouth inside orange, no spots ; 

 externally flanges almost white shading to pale yellow at angle of 

 gape. 



Juvenile. Male and femule. — Whole upper-parts rufous-brown 

 but each feather with a paler spot near the tip and a dark brown 

 edging ; upper tail-coverts uniform chestnut -brown ; chin and 

 centre of belly dull white, feathers very narrowly tipped dark 

 brown ; rest of under-parts more buffish-white and feathers broadly 

 tipped dark brown (thus having spotted appearance) ; under tail- 

 coverts buff ; under wing-coverts and axillaries as adult but rather 

 paler ; tail-feathers as adult but with very small pale spots at tips ; 

 wing-feathers as adult but innermost secondaries with small pale 

 rufous tips ; all wing-coverts as mantle, feathers with a pale spot 

 at tip and edged dark brown but in outer greater coverts spot 

 is not so pale and dark brown edging is very narrow. 



First winter. Male and female. — Like adults except for inner- 

 most secondaries and outer half of greater wing-coverts, which 

 have pale rufous spots at their tips as in juvenile. The small 

 pale spots at tips of tail-feathers are usually worn off. The juvenile 

 body-feathers, lesser and median wing-coverts and inner half of 

 greater coverts are moulted July-Sept., but not remiges, rectrices, 

 primary -co verts nor outer half of greater coverts. Summer. — • 

 As adult but pale tips of some of the outer greater coverts usually 

 still observable and even those of innermost secondaries not always 

 worn off. 



Measurements and structure. — q wing 82-89 mm., tail 63-67, 

 tarsus 26-28, bill from skull 16-18 (12 measured). 9 wing 78-84. 

 Primaries : 1st 1-5 mm. longer than primary-coverts, occasionally 

 equal to them and very rarely 1 mm. shorter, 3rd longest, 4th 

 occasionally equal but usually 1-2 shorter, 2nd 5-9 shorter, 5th 

 4-6 shorter, 6th 7-10 shorter ; 3rd and 4th emarginated outer webs. 

 Secondaries 3-5 mm. shorter than 10th primary, tips fairly square. 

 Tail rounded, 12 feathers, tips sloped off. Bill fine but strong, 

 tip of upper mandible slightly ciirved and ];)rojecting beyond lower. 

 Nostrils jmrtially covered by membrane but not by feathers. 

 Some fine and short nasal and rictal bristles. 



Soft parts. — Bill dark brown, base of lower mandible pale 

 livid flesh ; legs and feet jiale livid flesh to pale grey-brown ; 

 iris dark brown. 



Characters and allied forms. — L. m. golzii (Turkestan) has 

 longer wing and tail and is much paler, not so rufous, on upper-parts 

 and whiter on under-parts ; L. m. africana (Persia) is intermediate 



