362 BRITISH BIRDS. 



the wearing of the buff fringes, and the neck-patches become larger and 

 more whitish, but they are very small in extent as compared to those 

 of the male ; the breast becomes brighter, but never so bright as in the 

 male ; the belly remains buff, and not whitish, as in the male ; the 

 white " wing-patch " becomes more distinct, but is much smaller than 

 in the male. 



Adult Winter-Plumage. Acquired by a complete moult. 

 The plumage is like that of the First Winter, but all the 

 remiges, the primary-coverts and tail-feathers are new. 



Adult Summer-Plumage. Acquired by abrasion. The 

 plumage is like that of the First Summer. 



THE BRITISH REDBREAST. 



Erithacus nibecula melophilus, Hart. 



MALE AND FEMALE. 



Down-Plumage. Dull jet-black. Distribution. — Inner 

 supra-orbital, occipital, humeral, and spinal (short) {fide, 

 C. B. Ticehurst, Vol. II., p. 189). 



Juvenile Plumage. Acquired while in the nest, the 

 Down-Plumage being completely moulted. 



Feathers of the upperside buff, with edgings and tips, varying in 

 width, of dark brown, giving the whole a spotted appearance ; feathers 

 of the rump and upper tail-coverts rufous-buff, with dark brown tips ; 

 chin and throat buff or greyish-buff, each feather narrowly edged with 

 brown ; breast and flanks rather more rufous and the edgings to the 

 feathers brown ; belly greyish-white, faintly speckled with brown ; 

 under tail-coverts buff ; tail-feathers dark brown, tinged with rufous, 

 especially on the outer webs ; under wing-coverts buff ; axillaries 

 buffish-white ; primaries and secondaries brownish-black, the outer 

 webs olive-brown and the inner webs edged with greyish-buff, the inner- 

 most secondaries olive-brown, with small wedge-shaped buff tips ; 

 primary -coverts as the primaries ; greater wing-coverts dark brown, with 

 wedge-shaped buff tips ; median and lesser wing-coverts with larger buff 

 tips and very narrow edgings of dark brown. 



N.B. — Some examples are considerably more rufous-buff than others, 

 and the buff tips to the inner secondaries and greater wing-coverts vary 

 in size in different individuals. 



First Winter-Plumage. Acquired by a complete moult, 

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

 wing-coverts and rectrices. 



Upperside uniform dark olive-brown ; feathers of the rump with long 

 olive-brown fringes, concealing a band of silvery-grey ; upper tail- 

 coverts rufous--brown ; forehead, lores, lower ear-coverts, chin, throat and 

 breast rich reddish-orange ; upper ear-coverts olive-brown ; sides of 

 neck and breast blue-grey ; centre of belly white ; flanks pale olive- 

 brown ; under tail-coverts buffish-white ; tail-feathers as in the Juvenile ; 

 under wing-coverts buff ; axillaries huffish- and greyish-white ; wing- 



