264 



from the base of the nostril straight below the eye to the hind neck, skirting the black hood for its 

 whole extent ; back and scapulars grey ; rump and upper tail-coverts white, the latter slightly tinged 

 with grey ; wing-coverts entirely grey like the back, the small feathers on the edge of the wing white, 

 quills grey, slightly darker than the back, the shafts white, with a narrow margin of black running 

 along their inner edge ; the outer web of the first primary blackish, and the inner web blackish grey, 

 and then white, running into two longitudinal lines of about equal breadth along the feather ; the rest 

 of the primaries grey, darker than the back ; the inner webs of all the primaries for the most part 

 white, this colour decreasing towards the inner and smaller quills; the median quills tipped with 

 white ; the innermost secondaries grey like the rest of the back ; tail forked, the outer web more 

 or less greyish, the inner web white, centre feathers entirely white ; throat as well as the under wing- 

 and tail-coverts white ; the rest of the under surface of the body grey, with a certain tinge of vinous ; 

 bill coral-red, blackish at the tip of both mandibles ; feet coral-red; iris dark brown. Total length 

 13 - inches, culmen l - 5, wing 105, tail 5 - 6, tarsus 0'7-0'75. 



Obs. Some specimens are more grey on the under surface than others, though the assumption of this 

 colour does not seem to depend altogether on the season of the year ; for a splendid male bird from 

 Malaga, in Mr. Howard Saunders's collection, is very white underneath, though killed in the breeding- 

 season, on the 2nd of June. 



Young. Head blackish, covered with brownish down, the forehead and cheeks white, as also are the bases 

 of the feathers of the crown ; hinder part of the neck, rump, and upper tail-coverts pure white ; back 

 and scapulars grey, with sandy- coloured edgings ; wing-coverts grey, edged with sandy like the back, 

 the feathers along the edge of the wing blackish ; quills exactly as in the adult, excepting that the 

 smaller primaries are more plainly tipped with white, and the innermost secondaries edged with sandy ; 

 tail white, tipped with sandy, and suffused with grey, the outer web of the two external feathers being 

 entirely dark grey ; under surface of the body pure white, fluffy on the throat and flanks. 



Obs. The above description is taken from a bird killed in July 1871, and just able to fly, sent to us from 

 Germany by our excellent correspondent Mr. W. Sckluter, of Halle. Another bird forwarded by the 

 same naturalist, which was collected on the 2nd of July 1870, is still younger, and has the head black, 

 mottled with white all over; the dorsal plumes are edged with sandy, before which margin there is an 

 irregular bar of black ; on each side of the rump are two patches of black down ; and the throat is 

 covered with brownish fluff through which the white pen-feathers are making their appearance. In 

 both these specimens the feet are coral-red, and the bill is for the most part coral-red, blackish along 

 the upper mandible and at the tip of the lower one. Birds killed about October or November are very 

 pretty, and may be described as follows : — 



Young bird in winter. Forehead quite white, the fore part of the crown white, mottled with black, and the 

 hind part, along with the nape, entirely black ; back grey, varied with irregular black markings on all 

 the feathers, which are edged with white ; all the quills and tail-feathers tipped with white ; the two 

 outer tail-feathers grey on the outer web, the others more or less mottled -with this colour ; bill black, 

 deep red at the base, and for a great extent of the lower mandible ; feet orange-red. Among a quantity 

 of birds sent up from Pagham on the 10th of October was one which had the feet flesh-coloured. 



Winter plumage (S. rnacroptera, Blasius). Similar to the summer dress, but the feathers in front of the eye 

 mottled with white; the inner primaries also are losing their silvery grey appearance, and becoming 

 blackish ; the bill is blackish, with a tinge of red on the lower mandible, and the feet are yellowish. 

 (Spec, ex Walwisch Bay, October 6th, 1863, C. J. Andersson, mus. H. Saunders.) 



