244 BRITISH BIRDS. 



and in the number of the greater coverts which have the mesial streak. 

 Before this plumage is moulted, the upper-parts become, by fading and 

 abrasion, greyer and the mesial markings dirty grey ; the lores, post- 

 orbital streak and under-parts lose most of the huffish tint and 

 become dull white, the ochreous edgings to the outer webs of the inner 

 two or three secondaries and the ochreous markings on the coverts 

 become greyish-white. 



First Winter- Plumage. Acquired by a complete moult, 

 with the exception of the rectiices, remiges, primary-coverts 

 and outer four or five of the greater coverts. 



Whole head, hind-neck and mantle greyish-brown ; rump greyish- 

 brown, edged with ochreous ; upper tail-coverts greyish-brown with paler 

 tips and quills ; lores, feathers behind the eyes and lower lids greyish- 

 white ; ear-coverts huffish-white tipped and edged with sepia ; cheeks 

 dull buffish-white tipped with brownish-black ; chin and upper-throat 

 greyish-white, the latter sparsely streaked with small spear-shaped 

 dark markings ; lower-throat, breast and belly pale golden-buff with 

 very dark brown or brown-black terminal markings, triangular on 

 the lower throat, rounder on the breast, and terminal bars on belly, 

 (the centre of the belly has smaller and fewer markings) ; flanks 

 richer in colour with the same markings as the belly but larger ; under 

 tail-coverts buffish-white with broad brownish edges to the bases of the 

 feathers ; tail as in the Juvenile Plumage, but slightly more worn ; 

 primaries, secondaries, primary-coverts as in the Juvenile Plumage, but 

 the golden-buff on the outer webs is less conspicuous and paler 

 through wear, and the ochreous on the two innermost secondaries 

 grey-white ; greater coverts outer four or five as in the Juvenile 

 Plumage, but the tips worn and the edges of the outer webs whitish- 

 grey, the inner ones fresh and grey-brown with grey-white tips 

 and faint whitish edges to the outer webs ; median coverts greyish- 

 brown tipped with greyish-white ; lesser coverts greyish-brown. 



N.B. — There is some variation in the amount of ochreous on the rump, 

 in the purity and amount of the whitish colour in the tail, and in the 

 size of the markings of the under-parts, as well as in the number of 

 greater coverts which are renewed. 



First Summer- Plumage. Acquired by abrasion and 

 fading. 



Upper-parts rather paler, especially the rump, which loses some of 

 its ochreous tint, some of the pale edges on the upper tail-coverts are 

 worn off. On the under-parts much of the golden-buff tint is lost and 

 the dark markings become rather browner and more sharply defined ; 

 tips and edges of the greater coverts and tips of the median coverts 

 nearly worn off ; the edging and wash of golden-buff on the primaries, 

 secondaries and primary -coverts have now entirely disappeared, and 

 the greyish-white on the inner two secondaries has gone. 



Adult Winter-Plumage. Acquired by a complete moult. 



Only to be distinguished from the First Winter -Plumage by the 

 paler under-parts, there being less golden-buff colouring, and in freshly 

 moulted birds by all the greater coverts being fresh and not worn, while 

 in many individuals in First Winter-Plumage the mesial streak is 

 present on some of the greater coverts. 



