384 



BRITISH BIRDS. 



nearly allied H. polyglotta, but are on an average larger and do not exhibit 

 so many of the faint scratchy markings. 



The adult male Icteriue Warbler in spring plumage has the general 

 colour of the upper parts, including the lores, ear-coverts, and the sides of 

 the neck, olive-green; a somewhat indistinct greenish-yellow eye-stripe 

 extends from the base of the bill, losing itself behind the eye ; the quills 

 are brown, narrowly edged and somewhat more broadly tipped with 

 greenish white; the wing-coverts and innermost secondaries are still more 

 broadly edged with browner white ; the tail-feathers are brown, with very 

 narrow pale edges and generally with very indistinct traces of transverse 

 bars. The underparts, including the axillaries, are uniform greenish yellow, 

 many of the feathers on the thighs and under wing-coverts having brown 

 centres. Bill dark brown above, pale horn-colour below ; legs, feet, and 

 claws bluish grey ; irides hazel. 



The female scarcely differs from the male. After the autumn moult, the 

 olive-green of the upper parts is slightly greyer and the greenish yellow of 

 the underparts paler and less green. Birds of the year scarcely differ from 

 adults in autumn plumage. 



