COMMON WIIITETHROAT. 319 



and upper tail-coverts, reddish brown ; quill-feathers 

 blackish brown ; secondaries and tertials broadly edged 

 with bright chestnut ; great part of the outer tail-feather 

 on each side dull white, and rather shorter than the rest ; all 

 the others dark brown, with lighter margins ; chin and 

 throat white ; lower part of the neck, the breast, belly, 

 flanks, and under tail-coverts, pale brownish white, tinged 

 with rose colour ; under surface of wings and tail-feathers 

 grey ; legs pale wood-brown ; toes and claws darker brown. 



The whole length five inches and a half. From the 

 carpal joint to the end of the wing, two inches and five- 

 eighths : the first quill short ; the second and third equal 

 in length, and the longest in the wing. 



The female is without the rosy tints on the breast, and 

 the other colours of the plumage are less pure. 



Young birds have a light coloured space between the 

 beak and the eye ; the irides yellowish brown ; the outer 

 tail-feather on each side tinged with red. 



The vignette below represents the nest of the Lesser 

 Whitethroat, the species next to be described. 



