452 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



not so black on upper -parts and generally paler under -parts than 

 juvenile Stonechat and with superciliary stripe. 



First winter. Male,. Like adult male but primary-coverts 

 as in juvenile either with no white or only bases white ; outer 

 greater wing-coverts browner black and with broader buff edgings 

 than in adult ; inner greater wing-coverts with less white at base 

 and sometimes unmoulted juvenile feathers with mesial white 

 streaks, inner median and lesser coverts with considerably less 

 white and none of the feathers entirely white ; primaries and 

 secondaries as juvenile. The juvenile body-feathers, lesser and 

 median wing-coverts and usually two or three innermost greater 

 wing-coverts are moulted June-Sept, but not rest of greater 

 wing-coverts and not primary -co verts, wing- or tail-feathers. 

 Female. As adult female but primary-coverts and bases of 

 inner primaries and inner secondaries with less white as in 

 juvenile ; inner greater coverts usually without, but sometimes 

 one or two feathers with a little, white at base ; inner median 

 and lesser coverts with dull white tips and often with whitish 

 shaft -streaks. 



First summer. Male and female. Moult as in adults. Like 

 adults but primary -co verts, inner primaries and inner secondaries 

 as in juvenile and first winter with much less white ; outer un- 

 moulted wing-coverts (especially greater) browner and less black 

 than in adult. 



Measurements and structure. Q wing 74-81 mm., tail 43-48, 

 tarsus 21-24, bill from skull 13.5-15 (12 measured). $ wing 73-80. 

 Primaries : 1st equal to, or 1-2 mm. longer or shorter than, 

 primary -co verts, 3rd and 4th longest, 5th 2-3 mm. shorter, 2nd 

 2-4 shorter, 6th 5-7 shorter ; 3rd to 5th emarginated outer webs. 

 Rest of structure as in Stonechat but tips of secondaries 

 rather squarer. 



Soft parts. Bill, legs and feet black ; iris black-brown. 



CHARACTERS AND ALLIED FORMS. S. r. spatzi (Dalmatia) has 

 edgings of feathers of upper -parts more golden- and less rufous- 

 brown ; S. r. noskce (Caucasus) is still paler and S. r. margaretce 

 (west Siberia) will probably be found to be same as 8. r. noskce. 

 For differences of Stonechat see under that species. 



FIELD -CHARACTERS. More catholic in habitat than Stonechat, 

 frequenting lowland pastures and water meadows as well as 

 mountain slopes and furze-clad wastes. In behaviour the two 

 have much in common, but exhibit well marked differences in 

 appearance. More slender in form, Whinchat has streaked upper- 

 parts, prominent eye-stripe, white in male, buff in female ; breast 

 is buff not red ; and white at base of tail is more conspicuous at 

 all ages. Song, a short, hurried, and frequently repeated warble, 

 akin to Wheatear's rather than Stonechat 's, but call-note is like 



