STOXECHAT. 271 



brown ; quill-feathers the same colour : upper tail-coverts 

 white ; tail-feathers nearly black. Chin and throat black ; 

 sides of the neck to the wing white ; breast rich chestnut, 

 becoming lighter, almost yellowish white, on the belly, 

 vent, and under tail-coverts ; under surface of the quill- 

 feathers lead-grey, edged with dull white ; legs, toes, and 

 claws black. 



The whole length of the bird five inches and one-quarter. 

 From the carpal joint of the wing to the end of the 

 longest quill-feathers two inches and three-quarters : the 

 first quill-feather not half so long as the second ; the se- 

 cond equal to the seventh ; the third, fourth, fifth, and 

 sixth, nearly equal ; the fourth rather the longest of all. 



Adult males after their autumn moult have the feathers 

 of the neck and back broadly edged with rufous brown ; 

 quill-feathers margined, and tail-feathers tipped with the 

 same rufous colour ; the dark feathers on the throat 

 edged with rufous brown ; the breast and belly lighter 

 in colour than in summer. 



The adult female has the feathers of the upper parts 

 blackish brown, bordered with buff; the quill and tail- 

 feathers brown, edged with buff; throat blackish, varied 

 with small spots of white and red; the white space on 

 the neck and wings of smaller extent than in the male ; 

 breast dull red. 



Young birds in their nestling plumage have the feathers 

 of the upper parts of a greyish brown, with a spot of 

 white at the end. 



Young males after their first moult resemble adult 

 females ; after their second moult they attain by degrees 

 the plumage of adult males. 



