THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 



lemon-yellow, which changes to dark brown in autumn ; 

 tarsi and toes reddish brown ; irides brown. Length 

 8 inches. The female is more spotted with buff and grey 

 than the male, and the long, hackle-like feathers on the 

 throat are not so developed. Bill yellow, tipped with 

 brown in summer ; brown in winter. The nestling is 

 almost uniform smoke-brown, palest on the under parts, 

 which are more or less streaked. After the autumn 

 moult the adult Starling has much of its pristine beauty 

 concealed by buff tips to the feathers, which gradually 

 abradeTas spring advances. The metallic colours also 

 intensify. 



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