304 



BRITISH BIRDS. 



entire neck, the upper tail-coverts, and the tail, are pure white, suffused 

 with rose-colour on the breast. The under surface of the quills is 

 brownish black, and the under wing-coverts are dark slate-grey ; the pest 

 of the upper parts are French grey; the quills have broad white tips. Bill 

 dark blood-red ; legs and feet vermilion ; irides hazel. After the autumn 

 moult the black hood disappears, except a few black streaks on the hind 

 head, nape, and ear-coverts, and the bill and feet are paler. After the 

 first spring moult, the only signs of immaturity are a few white feathers 

 on the forehead, and some brown marks across the wing-coverts. Birds 

 of the year resemble adults in winter plumage, but have a broad black 

 terminal band to the tail, shading into white at the tip ; the under wing- 

 coverts are nearly white ; the quills are dark slate-grey, with white tips, 

 and have a white pattern on the inner webs; the wing-coverts and 

 innermost secondaries are almost black, with pale edges, and the brown 

 marks on the wing-coverts form a conspicuous dark band. Young in first 

 plumage have the crown, ear-coverts, and nape brown, and, in addition to 

 the signs of immaturity to be found in birds of the year, the feathers of 

 the back and scapulars are nearly black, with white margins. Young in 

 down are dark buff, spotted on the upper parts with dark brown. 



