490 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



on both webs and small buff marks at tips ; primary -co verts fringed 

 rufous-brown and tipped black-brown ; greater coverts as second- 

 aries but with buff marks at tips more distinct ; median coverts 

 same but with very indistinct pale marks at tips ; lesser coverts 

 rufous-brown. This plumage is acquired by complete moult in 

 Aug. -Oct. Summer. No moult. Abrasion causes upper-parts to 

 become rather more striated, and brown tips wear off breast - 

 feathers. 



Adult female. Like male but breast decidedly browner not so 

 grey the buffish-brown tips of the feathers being wider and more 

 distinct. 



Nestling. Down black, fairly long. Distribution, inner supra- 

 orbital, occipital, humeral, spinal, ulnar and femoral. Mouth inside 

 bright orange, two lateral black spots on tongue -spu.-s ; externally 

 flanges whitish -pink. 



Juvenile. Somewhat resembling adult but crown browner ; 

 feathers of nape and sides of neck fringed buffish and those of rest 

 of upper -parts more yellow-brown not so rufous ; chin and throat 

 greyish-white speckled dark grey ; breast, flanks and under tail- 

 covetts yellowish-buff to buff-brown, prominently streaked brown- 

 black ; centre of belly dull greyish-white ; tail- and wing-feathers 

 as adult, but buff marks at tips of median coverts more distinct. 



First winter and summer. Like adults. The juvenile body- 

 feathers, lesser and median wing-coverts, two or three inner greater 

 coverts, one or two innermost secondaries, sometimes, but appar- 

 ently not always, the tail-feathers are moulted Aug. -Oct. but not 

 primaries, primary-coverts nor rest of secondaries and greater 

 coverts. 



Measurements and structure. <$ wing 64-71 mm., tail 55-61, 

 tarsus 20-22, bill from skull 13-14 (12 measured). wing as male. 

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

 4th and 5th longest, 3rd and 6th sometimes as long but usually 

 .5-2 mm. shorter, 2nd 4-7 shorter and either equal to or 1-2 longer 

 or shorter than 7th (5-7 shoiter than longest) ; 3rd to 6th emar- 

 ginated outer webs. Secondaries about equal to 10th primary, 

 tips fairly square. Tail fairly square, 12 feathers, tips sharply 

 sloped off giving tail a slightly forked appearance. Bill rather flat 

 and broad at base, tapering rather abruptly to point which is more 

 compressed. Nostrils slit-like being covered by membrane. A 

 few very fine and very short nasal bristles and some longer and 

 stronger rictal bristles. 



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

 brown ; legs and feet pinkish-brown ; iris brown. 



CHARACTERS AND ALLIED FORMS. For differences of P. m. modularis 

 see under that form ; P. m. orientalis (Transcaucasia) is stated to 

 have sides of head and neck browner not so grey and back more 

 rufous ; P. m. blanfordi (south-west Persia) is stated to have uniform 



