476 A PRACTICAL. HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



band to become restricted, rest of under -parts whiter, crown less 

 marked with black and eye-stripe whiter. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Adult female. Winter. — -Upper-parts, wings and tail as male ; 

 moustachial stripes, chin and centre of throat bufE to buffish-white, 

 feathers here and there with dark brown spots, occasionally a few 

 blue feathers in moustachial stripe and throat-spot sometimes 

 rufous ; lines dowia sides of throat and breast-band brown-black, 

 feathers edged greyish-white, feathers of upper part of breast-band 

 sometimes pale metallic -blue ; rest of breast below breast-band 

 dull white mottled black -brown and tinged rufous -buff ; rest of 

 under-parts rather paler than and not so huffish as in male. Moult 

 as in male. Summer. — Moult as in male. Plumage usually as in 

 winter, but some examples acquire considerable amount of blue 

 in moustachial region and a little on chin. 



Juvenile. Male and female. — Whole upper-parts brown-black, 

 each feather with a median line of buff broadening at the tip, 

 especially in feathers of mantle and scapulars ; upper tail-coverts 

 rufous, slightly fringed dark brown ; lores and ear-coverts buff, 

 feathers tipped black-brown ; chin pale buff, feathers lightly 

 tipjaed dark biown ; throat and breast buff, feathers widely fringed 

 black-brown ; flanks same but with less black-brown ; centre 

 of belly buffish-white speckled with black-brown ; under tail- 

 coverts, axillaries, under wing-coverts, tail-feathers, primaries 

 and secondaries as adult but innermost secondaries with more 

 huffish edgings and with small buff spots at their tips ; primary- 

 coverts with buff tips ; greater coverts with buff edgings and 

 tips ; median and lesser coverts with broad buff tips. N.B. — 

 Buff tips of wing-coverts are broader in centre of feather and thus 

 somewhat wedge-shaped. 



First ivinter. Male. — Like adult male but blue of moustachial 

 stripe less pronounced, chin whitish, centre of throat varying 

 from whitish with a few rufous feathers at base to pale chestnut 

 but chestnut never so dark nor so extended as in adult male ; 

 chestnut breast-band usually paler than in adult ; primary-coverts 

 and outer half of greater coverts with buff tips as in juvenile and 

 buff tips sometimes observable on innermost secondaries but 

 these soon become worn off. The juvenile body -feat hers, lesser 

 and median, and varying number of inner greater wing-coverts 

 are moulted Aug. -Sept., but not remiges, rectrices, primary -co verts 

 nor rest of greater coverts. Summer. — Moult as in adult after 

 which becomes like adult summer male but distinguishable by 

 buff tips to outer greater wing -co verts. 



First ivinter. Female. — Like adult winter female but chin 

 and centre of throat whiter, without spots and very rarely with a 

 tinge of rufous ; verj'' rarely indeed with even a tinge of blue on 

 breast-band ; wings as in first winter male. Summer. — ^ Varies 



