THE RUSTIC-BUNTING. 129 



brown-black fringed greyish-white inner, and pale brown outer 

 webs ; secondaries same but outer w 7 ebs fringed darker brown, 

 inner secondaries margined chestnut with outer fringe of buff and 

 a tongue-like projection of black and chestnut about centre of 

 outer web ; inner greater coverts like inner secondaries but outer 

 ones tipped white and fringed buff ; median coverts with larger 

 white tips ; lesser coverts chestnut tipped buff. This plumage 

 is acquired by complete moult in August. Summer, A moult 

 confined to head and throat takes place in April and May (sometimes 

 March), when small patch of black appears on chin ; whole throat 

 including malar region, stripe over and behind eye and nape-spot 

 become pure white ; lores, ear-coverts, fore-head, and crown jet- 

 black ; some feathers of upper-part of breast-band are renewed but 

 moult does not extend further ; abrasion of tips and fringes of 

 feathers causes rest of breast-band, back of neck, rump and flanks to 

 become more uniform chestnut and mantle more strongly streaked 

 black. N.B. Moult of head is not always quite complete, some old 

 brown-tipped feathers being frequently left on crown and ear- 

 coverts. 



Adult female. Winter. Differs from male in having more 

 buff and brown and less black on crown and ear-coverts ; whitish- 

 buff nape-spot scarcely observable ; back of neck, mantle and 

 wings browner and less chestnut ; breast-band much less well- 

 defined and broken and often with some dark brown streaks, less 

 chestnut on flanks. Summer. Moult of head takes place in April 

 as in male but new feathers are much like old, but lores, ear-coverts 

 and croAvn have rather more black and head much resembles male 

 in winter. 



Nestling. (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. Crown brownish-black, feathers edged pale buff; 

 nape and mantle with more rusty-buff edgings and with some 

 rufous in centres ; rump and upper tail-coverts rusty-chestnut 

 with dark centres ; lores and stripe behind eye pale buff ; ear- 

 coverts buffish-brown ; chin uniform buff ; throat more whitish 

 streaked blackish-brown ; breast and flanks more tawny and 

 more heavily streaked same ; centre of lower-breast whitish-buff 

 with blackish spots ; centre of belly and under tail-coverts uniform 

 whitish-buff ; tail- and wing-feathers as adult ; lesser wing-coverts 

 dull chestnut tipped buff ; median coverts brown-black with 

 buffish-white tips centrally divided with brown; greater coverts 

 same but tips more buff. 



First winter and summer. Male and female. Like adults, 

 very difficult to distinguish, but males in winter appear to have 

 less black on crown and ear-coverts than adults. The juvenile 

 body-plumage and wing-coverts are moulted in August but not 

 primary-coverts, remiges and rectrices. 



Measurements and structure. < wing 75-81 mm., tail 56-63, 

 tarsus 18-19, bill from skull 11-12 (12 measured). $ wing 72-76. 



