vot. x1.) MOULTS OF BRITISH PASSERES. 37 
January and February (occasionally March and April) the 
body-feathers, four innermost secondaries, the lesser and 
median wing-coverts, often the central pair of tail-feathers 
and rarely the whole tail are moulted but not the greater 
or primary coverts or the rest of the wing-feathers. There 
is no sexual difference in the plumage, and the summer 
plumage is like that of winter. 
JUVENILE.—Like adults but the crown like the rest of 
the upper-parts of a dingy grey-brown, the feathers with 
slate-grey bases; the breast, flanks and under tail-coverts 
pale buffish-brown ; the wing-coverts and fringes of the tail- 
and wing-feathers darker and less grey-brown. 
First Winter.—The juvenile body-feathers and wing- 
coverts are moulted from June to August, but not the primary- 
coverts, wing- or tail-feathers. First winter birds are like 
the adults but the edges of the wing- and tail-feathers as in 
the juvenile are darker, while the upper-parts are a shade 
browner and less greyish-brown but these slight distinctions, 
soon disappear as the plumage becomes worn. 
RUPPELL’S WARBLER (S. ruppelli). 
A full description of this species and its moults has recently 
been given (Brit. B., VIII., pp. 95-96). 
SARDINIAN WARBLER (S. m. melanocephala). 
ApuLts.—Complete moult from September to November 
(occasionally December). From January to March the body- 
feathers and occasionally the central pair of tail-feathers 
are moulted but not the wing-coverts nor wing-feathers. 
The winter and summer plumages are alike. The female 
differs considerably from the male. The crown, lores and 
ear-coverts, instead of being glossy black are greyish, the 
feathers with dark (sometimes blackish) centres; the rest 
of the upper-parts are brown instead of grey; the flanks are 
pinkish-brown instead of ash-grey; the tail- and wing- 
feathers are of a browner black while the wing-coverts and 
fringes of the wing-feathers are brown instead of ash-grey. 
JUVENILE.—The male is much like the adult female but 
with the crown and ear-coverts dark sooty-brown and the 
flanks paler and more buffish-brown than in the adult female. 
The juvenile female differs in having the crown and ear- 
coverts more uniform with the rest of the upper-parts and 
the wings and tail browner. 
Frrst WintTER.—The juvenile body-feathers, wing-coverts 
and three or four innermost secondaries are moulted from 
July to December, but not the primary-coverts, tail-feathers 
nor the rest of the wing-feathers. The first winter male 
