84 



FAMILIAR WILD BIRDS 



greyish -brown with a lighter edge, the greater and lesser 

 under wing-coverts are greyish- white, very plainly per- 

 ceptible during flight: ; the tail is rather long and slightly 

 rounded, greyish-brown, faintly edged with yellowish- 

 brown ; under coverts are grey ; legs and toes pale 

 reddish-brown ; claws brownish-black. The plumage 

 towards the end of the summer becomes worn and faded; 

 the moulting is completed by the end of October. The 

 female is quite as large as the male, but paler in colour. 

 The young differ from the adults in plumage ; the chin is 

 white, and the head and crown is pale brown, with a white 

 spot in each feather ; the back is also of a pale brown, with 

 a greyish-yellow mark in each feather; the wings are 

 brown, with the feathers edged with pale buff. Oc- 

 casionally white and pied varieties are met withj^( 



