H. F. WITHERBY: PLUMAGES. 363 



feathers, primary-coverts and greater wing-coverts as in the Juvenile, 

 but the buff tips to the innermost secondaries and greater wing-coverts 

 worn and smaller ; median and lesser wing-coverts uniform olive-brown 

 as the mantle. 



First Summer-Plumage. Acquired by abrasion and 

 fading. 



As in the First Winter-Plumage, but paler, not so deep and rich in 

 colour on the upperside, the buff tips to the inner secondaries mostly 

 worn off and those to the greater wing-coverts much smaller through 

 wear. 



Adult Winter-Plumage. Acquired by a complete moult. 



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

 secondaries, instead of having wedge-shaped buff tips, have very narrow 

 even fringes of buff or greyish-buff, and the buff tips to the greater 

 wing-coverts are much smaller. 



Adult Summer-Plumage. Acquired by abrasion and 

 fading. 



The plumage is like that of the First Summer, with the same differences 

 as between the First Winter and Adult Winter, but not so marked, the 

 buff tips being more worn. 



N.B. — I can find no constant differences in the plumage of males 

 and females at any age. In size males average slightly larger than 

 females in length of wing, but the measurements of individuals of 

 each sex overlap : Male 77-73 mm., average 74.57 mm. ; Female 

 77-70 mm., average 73.16 mm. 



THE CONTINENTAL REDBREAST. 



Erithacus rubecula rubecula, L. 

 This form occurs regularly in autumn (and probably also 

 in spring) on the east and south-east coasts of England, and 

 has been taken both in autumn and spring at St. Catherine's 

 Lighthouse, Isle of Wight, and probably occurs in many 

 other parts of the British Islands, as a bird of passage in 

 any case. The sequence of its plumages appears to be exactly 

 similar to that of the British Redbreast. 



The buff tips to the greater wing-coverts are generally paler in colour 

 than in the British Redbreast, and in adults they are often entirely absent 

 and generally very small and inconspicuous. The upperside in Winter- 

 Plumage has an olive-green tinge, and is much less brown than in 

 E. r. melophilus, while in summer it attains a distinctly greyish tinge 

 by abrasion and fading. Specimens of E. r. melophilus in worn Summer- 

 Plumage approximate in the colour of the upperside to specimens of 

 E. r. rubecula in Winter-Plumage. The colour of the throat and breast 

 is always more yellowish-orange and not reddish-orange, as in the 

 British Redbreast, while the flanks are much less brown and the belly 

 whiter. The average measurements of E. r. rubecula appear to be 

 smaller. Male wing 75-72 mm., average 73.57 mm. ; Female wing 

 72-69 mm., average 70.2 mm. 



