BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 3887 
ihe upper tail-coverts (sometimes iower rump also) with conspicuous 
ongitudinal, more or less hastate or V-shaped markings of dusky, 
the longer upper tail-coverts sometimes tinged with pale buffy 
srayish; tail barred with duil white and dusky grayish brown, the 
yaler bars usually more or Jess shaded with pale buffy grayish, 
specially on middle rectrices, on which the pale bars are sometimes 
wholly grayish buffy; supraocular region and posterior portion of 
supraloral region dull white, minutely and sparsely flecked with 
lusky; chin and throat immaculate dull white or buffy white; rest 
of head and neck, together with chest, very pale grayish buffy 
‘pale vinaceous-buff or tilleul buff) narrowly but sharply streaked 
vith dusky, the breast, sides, and flanks similar but with ground 
solor more nearly white, the flanks more or less spotted or barred 
with grayish brown; rest of under parts white, the under tail-coverts 
with narrow mesial streaks of dusky; axillars and under wing- 
soverts immaculate white, or with scattered streaks or bars of browh- 
ish gray; inner webs of primaries brownish gray, barred or trans- 
versely spotted with white, these white bars or spots not extending 
to the shaft and sometimes broken up into an irregular mottling or 
marbling; maxilla black terminally passing into brown basally, the 
mandible black terminally with basal half (more or less) light brown- 
sh (dull flesh color in life) ; iris dark brown; legs and feet dusky (more 
or less grayish in life). 
Winter plumage.— Very similar to the breeding-plumage, but 
paler, and much less heavily striped, especially on the under surface 
of the body; the black spots and streaks on the rump scarcely apparent 
and concealed by the white plumage; upper tail-coverts white, with 
very few brown cross-bars; tail white, barred with brown.” @ 
Young.—‘ Differs from the adult in being much more tawny 
and ... may always be distinguished from the old ones by the much 
lighter pattern of the notches and bars on the innermost secondaries, 
these markings being tawny-buff, and the black centers to the 
feathers being much broader.’ ® 
Adult male.—Wing, 285-286 (285.5) tail, 107-108.5 (107.7); 
xxposed culmen, 125-152.5 (138.7); tarsus, 77; middle toe, 42.° 
Adult female.—Wing, 284-304 (294); tail, 117-118.5 (117.7;) 
»xxposed culmen, 118-131 (124.5); tarsus, 78-79 (78.5); middle toe, 42.¢ 
Breeding in northern and central Europe, from the British Islands 
xastward to the Kirghis steppes and plains of the Caucasus, north- 
ward to the Scandinavian peninsula, delta of the Dvina and basin 
che Volga rivers, southward to Holland (and delta of the Rhone?) ; 
@ Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxvi, 345. 
> Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., xxvi, 346. 
¢ Two specimens, from England. 
