LESSER WHITETHROAT. 323 



iii his treatment of our small singing birds in confinement, 

 which is, " I have reared the Lesser Whitethroat, two 

 males and a female ; the males had a beautiful tinge of 

 carmine on their breast/' 



In the adult male the beak is nearly black ; the base of 

 the under mandible yellowish brown ; the irides yellowish 

 white ; and in some very old birds pearl white ; the head, 

 neck, and back, smoke-grey; the ear-coverts almost black ; 

 quill-feathers blackish brown, the tertials edged with lighter 

 brown ; tail-feathers blackish brown, except the outer fea- 

 ther on each side, which is nearly white ; chin, throat, 

 breast, and belly, nearly pure white, the latter tinged with 

 red as far as the vent ; sides and flanks tinged with grey ; 

 under surface of wing and tail-feathers grey ; legs, toes, 

 and claws, lead colour. 



The whole length five inches and a quarter. From the 

 carpal joint to the end of the primaries, two inches and 

 five-eighths : the first feather very short ; the second fea- 

 ther rather shorter than the third or fourth, which are 

 equal in length, and the longest in the wing. 



The female is not quite so large as the male ; the grey 

 colour of the head and neck is tinged with brown ; the 

 ear-coverts not so dark in colour, and the white of the 

 under surface of the body is less pure, being clouded with 

 grey. 



Young birds resemble the female, and have the eyes 

 reddish hazel. 



