THE FIELDFARE. 393 



DESCRIPTION (Plate 14). Adult male. Winter. Fore-head and 

 crown bluish-grey slightly tinged brownish and each feather with 

 brown -black centre varying in size ; nape, hind -neck, rump and 

 upper tail-coverts same, but without black centres and feathers 

 of rump usually with whitish shaft -streaks ; mantle and scapulars 

 dark chestnut-brown, centres of feathers blackish and tips paler 

 &,nd greyish ; indistinct line from nostrils, over and behind eye 

 greyish-white to creamy-buff ; lores and under eye black ; ear- 

 coverts as nape ; chin, throat and centre of breast warm buff with 

 brown -black streaks varying considerably in number, size and 

 shape ; feathers of sides of breast and flanks with brown-black 

 centres, bordered with rusty-buff and tipped white ; lower-breast 

 white, tinged buff ; belly white, some feathers with concealed dark 

 markings ; under tail-coverts with dark brownish-grey bases and 

 edgings and long white tips and centres ; axillaries and under 

 wing-coverts white ; tail brown-black (with obsolete dark bars 

 observable in certain lights), outer webs fringed greyish at base, 

 outer pair with narrow whitish margin at tip of inner webs ; pri- 

 maries brown-black, inner web greyish at base, outer webs of outer 

 feathers fringed grey, those of inner feathers browner ; secon- 

 daries with outer webs fringed more broadly with more chestnut- 

 brown but greyish at tips ; primary -co verts as outer primaries ; 

 greater and median wing-coverts with inner webs dark brown and 

 outer webs mostly chestnut -brown with pale grey tips ; lesser 

 wing-coverts with less chestnut, more grey and dark centres. This 

 plumage is acquired by complete moult in July-Sept. Summer. 

 No moult. Abrasion makes blackish centres of feathers of crown 

 conspicuous, nape and rump purer grey, mantle rather paler, under- 

 parts less buff and dark markings more conspicuous. 



Adult female. W inter. Like adult male, but crown, nape and 

 rump more washed with brownish, and feathers of crown with 

 smaller black centres ; mantle, scapulars and edgings of secondaries 

 and wing-coverts paler, not such rich chestnut-brown ; throat and 

 breast usually paler, not such deep buff ; dark markings on flanks 

 browner and not so solid. Same moult as male. Summer. Same 

 differences as winter, but head, nape and rump purer grey. 



Nestling. (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. Male and female. Crown and nape greyish-brown, 

 feathers with whitish shaft-streaks ; rump same but rather greyer ; 

 upper tail-coverts same but with pale tips ; mantle and scapulars 

 brown, feathers with whitish to pale buff centres (varying in size) 

 and with blackish tips ; line from nostrils, over and behind eye 

 creamy-buff ; lores and line under eye blackish ; ear-coverts pale 

 buff marked with grey and black ; chin and centre of upper-throat 

 pale buff, sides and lower-throat and breast rather deeper buff, 

 each feather tipped with roundish black-brown spot ; rest of under- 

 paits white spotted same but with few spots in centre of belly 



