486 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



feathers with large buff edging and a much clearer, paler and often 

 whitish, semicircular tip on inner webs of rest of tail-feathers ; 

 primaries dark brown, outer and inner webs narrowly edged buff 

 with a rather broader and paler mark at tips of feathers ; secondaries 

 blacker brown more broadly edged rufous-buff, inner feathers 

 with glossy-black centres broadly edged rufous-brown and with 

 whitish mark at tip ; primary-coverts black tinged brown, very 

 narrowly edged greyish and with broader white edging at tip of 

 outer webs ; greater coverts black, edged widely on basal portion 

 rufous grey-brown and with conspicuous white spots at tips of 

 outer webs ; median coverts same but without grey-brown edgings 

 and inner feathers with very small buffish-white tips ; lesser coverts 

 grey-brown. This plumage is acquired by complete moult Aug.- 

 Nov. Summer. No moult and very little change by abrasion 

 but edgings of secondaries become paler and white tips of coverts 

 much restricted by wear. 



Nestling. (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. Upper-parts much as adult but browner and duller, 

 feathers of mantle edged browner, not so grey, and those of scapulars 

 not so rufous, upper tail-coverts with dark brown centres edged 

 paler brown and with greyish-white tips ; chin and throat pale 

 grey tinged huffish, tips of feathers rather darker but with no 

 definite spotted appearance ; breast, belly, flanks and under tail- 

 coverts feathers with dark brown centres and broad buffish fringes ; 

 wing-feathers and tail-feathers as adult ; primary -co verts and 

 greater and median coverts as adult but browner and tips buffish, 

 not so white. 



First winter and summer. Like adults but primary -co verts 

 and greater wing-coverts browner and tips more buffish, not so 

 white, but difficult to distinguish with ceitainty. The juvenile 

 body-feathers, lesser and median wing-coverts are moulted July- 

 Oct. but apparently not the greater coverts and not wing-feathers, 

 primary -co verts nor tail. 



Measurements and structure. <$ wing 98-108 mm., tail 59-67, 

 tarsus 23-25.5, bill from skull 16-17 (12 measured). $ wing 97-106. 

 Primaries : 1st 4-10 mm. shorter than primary -coverts, 3rd longest, 

 4th usually as long but sometimes 1 mm. shorter, 2nd 1-5 shorter, 

 5th 1-4 shorter, 6th 6-9 shorter ; 3rd to 6th emarginated outer webs. 

 Secondaries about 2 mm. shorter than 10th primary, tips fairly 

 square. Tail fairly square, outermost pair slightly shorter than 

 rest, 12 feathers, tips fairly square. Upper tail-coverts long, longest 

 feathers being two-thirds length of tail. Bill flat and broad at 

 base, tapering rather abruptly to point, which is more compressed. 

 Nostrils slit -like being covered by membrane. A few fine nasal 

 bristles and some longer and stronger rictal bristles. 



Soft parts. Bill brown-black, base and most of lower mandible 

 yellow ; legs and feet pink-brown ; iris hazel. 



