C. B. TICEHURST : PLUMAGES. 249 



white shaft-lines, ending in tips of the same colour ; axillaries and 

 under wing-coverts white, underside of remiges greyish. 



N.B. — There is some individual variation in the intensity of the 

 yellowish-buff colouring and in the size of the markings of the upper - 

 and under-parts and in the number of the feathers with pale shaft- 

 lines in the greater coverts. 



Just before this plumage is moulted the contour-feathers are much 

 abraded and much of the yellowish-buff colouring has changed to 

 greyish-white. 



First Winter-Plumage. Acquired by a complete moult, 

 with the exception of the rectrices, remiges, primary- 

 coverts, and a variable number of the greater coverts 

 (usually the outer half are retained). 



Whole head and hind-neck dark smoke-grey, the feathers of the head 

 having blackish centres ; mantle and scapulars chestnut-brown some- 

 times faintly tipped with yellowish-grey ; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 ash-grey, many specimens having a faint ochreous tint, especially on 

 the latter ; line from base of bill and superciliary indistinct and pale 

 grey or creamy-buff ; lores blackish ; ear-coverts dark smoke-grey ; 

 cheeks pale buff streaked with very dark brown ; chin pale buff ; 

 upper-throat, the feathers with dark centres and buff edges and tips ; 

 lower-throat warm buff with brownish-black central streaks of varying 

 shape running to the tips ; upper-breast warm buff with brown- 

 black markings of very varying shape ; lower-breast huffish-white ; 

 belly dull white with variable amount of dark brown markings 

 hidden by broad edgings ; sides of breast and flanks dark brown to 

 brown-black, the feathers with broad edges and tips — whitish on the 

 flanks, huffish on the breast, making the dark-coloured parts of the 

 feathers inconspicuous ; under tail-coverts white with blackish-grey 

 bases which extend up the margins of the feathers for a variable 

 distance (as in the flanks these dark markings are hidden) ; primaries, 

 secondaries and primary-coverts as in the Juvenile, but the edges of the 

 outer webs slightly paler through wear ; greater coverts, the outer ones 

 as in the Juvenile Plumage but the tij>s slightly worn, the inner four 

 or five grey-brown washed with chestnut on the outer webs ; median 

 coverts dark brown with pale tips ; lesser coverts rather paler chestnut 

 than the mantle and with pale tips and edges ; axillaries and under 

 wing-coverts white. 



N.B. There is some variation in the number of greater coverts of 

 the Juvenile Plumage retained, and a great variation in the shape of 

 the dark markings on the under-parts. 



First Summer-Plumage. Acquired by abrasion and 

 fading. 



Whole head darker, the blackish centres being more conspicuous and 

 edged with ashy-grey, giving the whole a mottled appearance ; hind- 

 neck ashy-grey ; mantle and scapulars rather paler ; rump and upper 

 tail-coverts pure ashy-grey with no ochreous tinge ; on the under-parts 

 the buff tinge is paler and the dark brown spots, streaks, and 

 U-shaped markings now stand out boldly, especially on the sides of the 

 breast and flanks where they were in the First Winter-Plumage 

 obscured by broad edgings and tips ; the chestnut tinge on the wings 



