310 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



DESCRIPTION (Plate 11). Adult male and female. Winter. 

 Whole upper-parts green, crown and upper mantle tinged brownish ; 

 conspicuous stripe from nostrils, over and behind eye sulphur- 

 yellow ; line through lores and behind eye dark brownish-green ; 

 ear-coverts greenish -yellow ; chin, throat, upper-breast and tibial 

 feathers pale sulphur-yellow ; axillaries and under wing-coverts 

 brighter sulphur-yellow mixed with white ; rest of under -parts 

 pure white ; tail and wing-feathers dark brown fringed on outer 

 webs yellowish -green and on inner webs white ; all wing-coverts 

 dark brown with yellowish -green tips and fringes. This plumage 

 is acquired by complete moult in July -Sept. Summer. A com- 

 plete moult (including wings and tail) takes place from Jan. to 

 March. New plumage like winter but considerably brighter, 

 more golden-green on upper-parts and sulphur -yellow of eye-stripe, 

 chin and throat usually brighter. Abrasion makes crown and 

 mantle somewhat greyer-green and throat rather less yellow by 

 June or July. 



Nestling. Down, pale-grey, long but scanty. Distribution 

 inner supra -orbital, occipital and humeral. Mouth inside bright 

 deep yellow, no tongue-spots, externally flanges pale yellow. 



Juvenile. Like adult winter but still duller green with a 

 greyish-brown tinge on all upper -parts. 



First winter. Like adult winter but perhaps slightly more 

 tinged with brownish on upper-parts. The juvenile body -plumage 

 is moulted July-Aug., but apparently not any wing-coverts nor 

 wing- and tail-feathers. Summer. Moult like adults after which 

 is indistinguishable. 



Measurements and structure. $ wing 74-78 mm., tail 48-53, 

 tarsus 17.5-19, bill from skull 11-11.5 (12 measured). $ wing 

 71-76. Primaries : 1st 2-5 shorter than primary-coverts, 3rd 

 longest, 4th 1-3 mm. shorter, 5th 4-8 shorter, 6th 9-12 shorter, 

 2nd 1-3 shorter (usually equal to or slightly shorter than 4th) ; 3rd 

 to 5th emarginated outer webs. Rest of structure as Chiffchaff. 



Soft parts. Bill : upper mandible blackish-brown, lower 

 mandible yellowish-flesh ; legs and feet pale yellowish-brown, 

 soles yellow ; iris brown-black. 



CHARACTERS AND ALLIED FORMS. Ph. s. erlangeri (Mediterranean 

 countries) is slightly more golden on upper-parts but is a doubtful 

 form. Large size, bright yellowish -green upper -parts, pure white 

 belly contrasted to yellow throat and 1st primary shorter than 

 primary-coverts distinguish it from other Phylloscopi. 



FIELD-CHARACTERS. Distinguished from Willow-Warbler and Chiff- 

 chaff by its rather larger size, longer wings, greenish upper-parts, 

 sulphur-yellow breast and throat, and broad yellow superciliary 

 stripe. Essentially a woodland species, affecting especially woods 

 of beech and oak. Captures much of its insect food from under- 



