196 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



lesser wing-coverts, throat and under-parts rich, deep brown-red ; 

 (feathers of head, neck and throat longer, narrower and more 

 pointed than in winter) ; rest of upper-parts and wing-coverts, 

 wings, tail and axillaries, under wing-coverts and under tail- 

 coverts as winter but purple and green gloss more brilliant. 



Nestling. — Down dull black, usually with white patch on back 

 of crown and some white bands on throat. Down of very loose 

 structure, not very long and covering bird very sparsely. Bill with 

 three dark bands — at base, in middle and at tip — loral region bare 

 as in adult. 



Juvenile. — Much like adult winter but head and neck browner 

 and with white streaking less distinct and sometimes confined to 

 head, throat occasionally with some white bands as usually in 

 nestling ; upper-parts and wing-coverts considerably duller than in 

 adult and much more green and bronze -green with little purple ; 

 under-parts browner, not so blackish, and with little or no gloss 

 and no brown-red ; under tail-coverts blacker, with a little green 

 gloss ; all wing-coverts glossed green. 



First winter. — The juvenile body-plumage, but apparently not 

 wings and tail, is moulted Aug. -Sept., and bird then becomes much 

 more like adult winter, except that there is no brown-red on under- 

 parts and wing-coverts are as in juvenile. 



First summer. — A complete moult takes place in spring as in 

 adult, after which bird appears to resemble adult. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 270-295 mm., tail 95-105, 

 tarsus 85-110, bill from feathers 115-142 (12 measured). ? wing 

 250-275, bill 100-135. Primaries : 2nd longest, 3rd usually as long, 

 sometimes 5 mm. shorter, 1st occasionally as long, usually 3-10 

 shorter, 4th 10-20 shorter, 5th 25-35 shorter, 6th 45-55 shorter, 

 7th 60-85 shorter ; 2nd to 4th emarginated on outer and 1st and 

 2nd on inner webs. Tail square, 12 feathers, tips slightly rounded. 

 Bill slender, decurved, much compressed, tip rather flattened and 

 rounded, upper mandible ridged and lower grooved. Nostrils very 

 small and slit-like. Skin of loral region and just above and below 

 eye bare as well as that between lower mandible. No rictal or nasal 

 bristles. About half tibia bare. Toes long and slender, " soles " 

 fleshy and spreading, 3rd and 4th webbed at base. Claws long, 

 blunt and fairly straight, that of middle toe somewhat flattened 

 with two or three pectinations on its inner edge. 



Soft parts. — Bill dark grey-brown ; legs and feet paler brown ; 

 iris dark brown ; loral skin purplish-black. 



Characters and allied forms. — P. f. peregrinus (Java, Australia) 

 is slightly smaller. Long, curved bill, bare lores and tibia, and rich 

 dark coloration are distinctive. 



Field -characters. — Curved bill gives appearance of Curlew and 

 combined with dark colouring, which looks almost black at a dis- 

 tance, make bird readily recognizable. Sociable in habits, generally 



