296 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



and crown brown without greyish tinge ,; lores buffish -white, 

 ear-coverts and sides of neck pale brown ; chin, throat and upper- 

 breast cream-buff to tawny-buff, indistinctly flecked brown. 

 Moult as male. Summer. Moult as male. Abrasion makes 

 crown paler brown and under-parts whiter, not so buff. 



Nestling. (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. Feathers of upper -parts, including lores and ear- 

 coverts, with rufous-buff centres and narrow dark brown edgings 

 giving a spotted appearance ; rump paler than rest of upper- 

 parts ; chin and throat pale buff, slightly flecked brown ; breast 

 deeper and more yellowish-buff, most of the feathers lightly tipped 

 dusky-brown ; flanks yellowish-buff ; belly and under tail-coverts 

 white ; tail as adult ; wing-feathers as adult but innermost 

 secondaries with small rufous-buff spots at tip ; greater and 

 median coverts with larger buff spots at tip. 



First winter. Male and female. Like adult winter female 

 but with buff spots at tips of innermost secondaries, greater coverts 

 and occasionally some inner median coverts. The juvenile body- 

 feathers, lesser and most median wing-coverts are moulted in 

 Aug., but not tail- or wing-feathers or rest of wing-coverts. 

 Summer. Moult as adults after which like adults except for 

 traces of buff tips to inner secondaries and wing-coverts and in 

 male red of breast is apparently usually less extensive. 



Measurements and structure. ^ wing 66-71 mm., tail 49-55, 

 tarsus 17-18, bill from skull 9.5^10.5 (12 measured). $ wing 

 64-70. Primaries : 1st 3-6 mm., shorter than longest primary- 

 covert, 3rd and 4th longest, 2nd 6-8 shorter, 5th 1-2 shorter, 6th 

 3-6 shorter ; 3rd to 5th emarginated outer webs. Secondaries 

 slightly shorter than 10th primary, tips almost square. Bill 

 and other structure as in Spotted Flycatcher. 



Soft parts. Bill brown ; legs and feet dark brown ; iris 

 dark brown. 



CHARACTERS AND ALLIED FORMS. In M. p. albicilla (eastern 

 Siberia, Kamtschatka) adult male has red restricted to chin and 

 throat, upper-breast being grey, and female and first winter male 

 have chin whiter and throat and breast browner, less yellowish- 

 buff than in M . p. parva ; M . p. Tiyperythra (Kashmir) is darker. 

 Uniform brown of upper -parts and white bases of tail-feathers 

 distinguish it from other British Flycatchers. 



FIELD-CHARACTERS. White base of tail and small size apart 

 from orange-red throat of adult male should be easily observable 

 characteristics. It is shy and secretive, but has the habits of a 

 true Flycatcher. The song is very varied. Fine bell-like notes, 

 " tink, tink, tink ida, ida," are frequent, as well as a flute-like 

 "diu, diu, diu," often connected with whirring passages. Call- 

 note is reminiscent of notes of Wren or Mistle-Thrush but less 

 loud. (E.H.) 



