148 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



with varying amount of rufous markings ; wing-feathers blackish 

 chocolate- brown with much less white at base than in adult male, 

 and never with more than a wash of silver-grey on outer webs, and 

 usually with only a slight greyish tinge disappearing in worn 

 plumage ; primary-coverts as wing-feathers ; rest of wing-coverts 

 as adult male, but without any silver-grey. 



Nestling. — At first down (a) short, rather scanty, with bare 

 patches on sides of body and base of neck, white with a faint 

 creamy tinge on upper-parts of body and a narrow dark brown 

 ring round eye. Older birds in down have not been available for 

 examination. 



Juvenile,. — Male and female. — Much as adult female but crown 

 and nape usually with very fine streaks or none but sometimes 

 crown dark brown and nape cream or buff streaked dark brown ; 

 ear-coverts uniform dark brown ; whole of under-parts sometimes 

 uniform dark to chocolate -brown but usually chin cream to but! 

 and some feathers of breast edged same but usually less buff on 

 breast than in adult female ; tail dark brown with buff tips, occa- 

 sionally with a little rufous on inner webs of outer pair ; wing- 

 feathers same with a little whitish at base ; wing-coverts dark 

 brown with buff tips, lesser coverts often as rest but sometimes 

 with buff edgings, but not forming a distinct buff line down inner 

 edge of wing as in adult male and female. 



First winter. — As juvenile. 



First summer. Male and female. — -Body-plumage commences 

 to moult from Jan. -Mar., but wings and tail do not moult before 

 May. After this moult both sexes are much like adult female but 

 crown usually more streaked, tail and wings of both sexes without 

 any silver-grey but tails of males with slight greyish tinge and outer 

 feathers usually with more rufous which sometimes takes form of 

 bars. After this plumage I have been unable to trace sequence 

 with certainty in females. 



Second summer. Male. — Crown, nape and under-parts streaked 

 and as adult male ; tail-feathers silver-grey but more tinged brown 

 than in adult and inner webs rufous with brown bars usually extend- 

 ing across outer webs of outer feathers and a broad brown pen- 

 ultimate band ; wing-feathers and wing-coverts with much less 

 silver-grey than in adult male. After next moult plumage appears 

 to become as adult. 



Measurements and structure. — <$ wing 375-415 mm., tail 210-230, 

 tarsus 85-90, bill from cere 21-23.5 (12 measured). ? wing 390-420. 

 Primaries ; 1st between 6th and 7th, 3rd and 4th longest (4th 

 occasionally 5 mm. shorter), 2nd 10-25 shorter, 5th 15-30 shorter, 

 6th 70-90 shorter ; 2nd to 5th emarginated on outer and 1st to 

 4th on inner webs. Outer secondaries shorter than 10th primary, 

 inner ones about as long as 7th and 8th, tips rounded. Tail romided 

 laterally, 12 feathers, tips romided. About a third of tarsus 

 feathered on front. Toes long and slender, 3rd and 4th connected 



