THE NIGHTINGALE. 469 



complete moult from July to Sept. Summer. No moult. Abrasion 

 causes no marked differences but upper-parts become rather paler. 



Nestling. Down greyish-black. Distribution, fairly long and 

 plentiful on inner supra-orbital, occipital and spinal, shorter and 

 more scanty on outer supra -orbital, humeral and ulnar, filaments 

 sometimes on femoral tracts. Mouth inside orange, no spots ; 

 externally flanges almost white shading to pale yellow at angle of 

 gape. 



Juvenile. Male and female. Whole upper -parts rufous-brown 

 but each feather with a paler spot near the tip and a dark brown 

 edging ; upper tail-coverts uniform chestnut -brown ; chin and 

 centre of belly dull white, feathers very narrowly tipped dark 

 brown ; rest of under-parts more huffish-white and feathers broadly 

 , tipped dark brown (thus having spotted appearance) ; under tail- 

 coverts buff ; under wing-coverts and axillaries as adult but rather 

 paler ; tail-feathers as adult but with very small pale spots at tips ; 

 wing-feathers as adult but innermost secondaries with small pale 

 rufous tips ; all wing-coverts as mantle, feathers with a pale spot 

 at tip and edged dark brown but in outer greater coverts spot 

 is not so pale and dark brown edging is very narrow. 



First winter. Male and female. Like adults except for inner- 

 most secondaries and outer half of greater wing-coverts, which 

 have pale rufous spots at their tips as in juvenile. The small 

 pale spots at tips of tail-feathers are usually worn off. The juvenile 

 body-feathers, lesser and median wing-coverts and inner half of 

 greater coverts are moulted July-Sept., but not remiges, rectrices, 

 primary -co verts nor outer half of greater coverts. Summer. 

 As adult but pale tips of some of the outer greater coverts usually 

 still observable and even those of innermost secondaries not always 

 worn off. 



Measurements and structure. Q wing 82-89 mm., tail 63-67, 

 tarsus 26-28, bill from skull 16-18 (12 measured). Q wing 78-84. 

 Primaries : 1st 1-5 mm. longer than primary -co verts, occasionally 

 equal to them and very rarely 1 mm. shorter, 3rd longest, 4th 

 occasionally equal but usually 1-2 shorter, 2nd 5-9 shorter, 5th 

 4-6 shorter, 6th 7-10 shorter ; 3rd and 4th emarginated outer webs. 

 Secondaries 3-5 mm. shorter than 10th primary, tips fairly square. 

 Tail rounded, 12 feathers, tips sloped off. Bill fine but strong, 

 tip of upper mandible slightly curved and projecting beyond lower. 

 Nostrils partially covered by membrane but not by feathers. 

 Some fine and short nasal and rictal bristles. 



Soft parts. Bill dark brown, base of lower mandible pale 

 livid flesh ; legs and feet pale livid flesh to pale grey-brown ; 

 iris dark brown. 



CHARACTERS AND ALLIED FORMS. L. m. golzii (Turkestan) has 

 longer wing and tail and is much paler, not so rufous, on upper -parts 

 and whiter on under-parts ; L. m. africana (Persia) is intermediate 



