238 MERULIDA. 
the wing from the anterior joint to the end of the longest 
quill-feather four inches and three quarters. 
The female has all the upper surface of the body of a dull 
brown; on the back are some large white spots edged with 
brown; throat and sides of the neck pure white, some of 
the feathers occasionally varied with ash-brown ; all the 
other under parts reddish white, with fine transverse lines 
at the end of each feather ; tail light bay, the two middle 
feathers ash brown. 
Young birds of the year, according to M. Temminck, 
differ remarkably. All the upper parts light ash brown, 
each feather terminated with a spot of greyish white. 
Quill-feathers tipped with white ; wing-coverts edged with 
grey and tipped with white; tail red, tipped with white; 
under part of the body something like that of the adult 
female, but more varied with white, which is again inter- 
sected with brown lines. 
The vignette represents the form of the breast-bone of 
the Blackbird. 
