i8 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



inner aspect, conspicuous on the inner web, to the tip 

 of which it extends, becomes there frosted with grey, and 

 ascends along the margin of the inner web for some little 

 distance ; the first primary blackish along the whole of the 

 outer web; secondaries grey, with dusky shaft-lines, white along 

 the inner webs and at the tips of the innermost quills ; central 

 tail-feathers white, the rest white with a grey shade on the 

 outer web, increasing towards the outer ones, the external long 

 feathers having a dusky blackish outer web ; crown of head 

 and nape black, this being drawn through the upper half of the 

 lores and along the sides of the crown above the ear-coverts ; 

 sides of face from the lower portion of the lores, and reaching 

 to the eye and over the ear-coverts, cheeks, and throat pure 

 white ; remainder of the under surface of the body, from the 

 fore-neck downwards, delicate lavender grey ; under tail-coverts, 

 under wing-coverts and axillaries pure white ; " bill coral-red, 

 the extreme tip horn-colour ; feet coral-red ; iris dark brown. 

 Total length, 15 inches; culmen, 1*55; wing, io'8 ; tail, 27; 

 outer tail-feathers, 77 ; tarsus, 0-85. 



Adult Female. Similar in colour to the male. Total length, 

 12*5 inches; culmen, 1*35; wing, 107; tail, 57; tarsus, 07. 



Adult in Winter Plumage. differs from the summer plumage 

 in wanting the black cap, the head being black behind, but 

 with the forehead and crown streaked and mottled with white ; 

 the under surface of the body is paler and shows less grey ; the 

 bill and feet much duller in colour. 



Immature Birds in First Winter. Resemble the winter plumage 

 of the adults, but are distinguished by the forehead being white, 

 and by a dark grey band along the marginal upper wing-coverts. 

 The under surface of the body is entirely white. 



Nestling. Brownish-buff, or stone-buff streaked and spotted 

 with black, without any very distinct pattern, the head lighter 

 than the back, and more minutely spotted ; edge of wing and 

 under parts white, browner on the belly and vent; lores, sides 

 of face, and throat brown. As the nestling grows in size the 

 black pattern on the upper parts becomes more distinct, and 

 the throat fades to a light-brown colour. 



After the downy stage, the feathers of the upper surface are 



