246 SYLVIAD A. 
The whole length of the bird rather more than five 
inches and a half. From the carpal joint to the end of 
the longest feather in the wing, two inches and _three- 
quarters: the first wing-feather very small; the second 
a little longer than the seventh, but shorter than the 
sixth ; the third, fourth, and fifth feathers nearly equal 
in length, but the fifth rather the longest. 
Females resemble the males, but are a little more 
spotted on the head, breast, and belly. 
The young before their first moult have the throat 
greyish white, varied with small darker-coloured spots, 
and the general colour of the plumage of the other parts 
darker. 
This species is subject to varieties in colour. A speci- 
men sent me by the Rey. Dr. Thackeray has the head, 
neck, body, and wing-coverts dull white, varied with a 
few markings of the natural brown; the wing and tail- 
feathers pure white; beak and legs flesh colour. A speci- 
men sent me by the Rev. Robert Holdsworth from Brix- 
ham was of a nearly uniform reddish buff colour; and I 
have seen several others. 
The figure on the left hand in the vignette below repre- 
sents the foot of the Accentor alpinus; the right hand 
figure is taken from the breast-bone of Accentor modularis, 
as an illustration of the generic form of the sternum. 
