STONECHAT. ot 
brown; quill-feathers the same colour: upper tail-coverts 
white ; tail-feathers nearly black. Chin and throat black ; 
sides of the neck to the wing white; breast rich chestnut, 
becoming lighter, almost yellowish white, on the belly, 
vent, and under tail-coverts; under surface of the quill- 
feathers lead-grey, edged with dull white; legs, toes, and 
claws black. 
The whole length of the bird five inches and one-quarter. 
From the carpal joint of the wing to the end of the 
longest quill-feathers two inches and three-quarters: the 
first quill-feather not half so long as the second; the se- 
cond equal to the seventh; the third, fourth, fifth, and 
sixth, nearly equal; the fourth rather the longest of all. 
Adult males after their autumn moult have the feathers 
of the neck and back broadly edged with rufous brown ; 
quill-feathers margined, and tail-feathers tipped with the 
same rufous colour; the dark feathers on the throat 
edged with rufous brown; the breast and belly lighter 
in colour than in summer. 
The adult female has the feathers of the upper parts 
blackish brown, bordered with buff; the quill and _ tail- 
feathers brown, edged with buff; throat blackish, varied 
with small spots of white and red; the white space on 
the neck and wings of smaller extent than in the male; 
breast dull red. 
Young birds in their nestling plumage have the feathers 
of the upper parts of a greyish brown, with a spot of 
white at the end. 
Young males after their first moult resemble adult 
females; after their second moult they attam by degrees 
the plumage of adult males. 
