216 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



buff to white tinged buff ; axillaries and under wing-coverts white, 

 usually tinged buff ; tail and innermost secondaries black glossed 

 green, and rest of wing-feathers and primary-coverts black, glossed 

 green on outer webs (1st primary very narrowly edged buff to 

 whitish) ; innermost wing-coverts black glossed green, forming a 

 line down inner edge of wing, rest of greater coverts white tinged 

 huffish-grey and of median and lesser pale buff to deeper buff with 

 a small brownish patch on outer lesser coverts at point of wing. 

 This plumage is acquired by complete moult commencing June. 



Adult female. — Crown and nape as male but not so glossy 

 and margined by very narrow line of rufous ; feathers of sides of 

 neck covering back of neck brown-buff with chestnut tips ; mantle 

 and scapulars dark chocolate-brown to reddish-chocolate, feathers 

 margined pale buff giving somewhat streaked appearance ; back 

 and rump more uniform dark chocolate ; upper tail-coverts black ; 

 under-parts much as male but more streaked, chin and throat 

 showing more white with long brown-buff stripes and some brown 

 shaft-streaks, flanks and sides of breast with much wider and more 

 numerous dark brown streaks ; tail as male but not so glossy ; 

 wing-feathers more brown-black and innermost secondaries and 

 wing-coverts chocolate -brown, rest of wing-coverts darker and 

 browner-buff than in male and brown patch on point of wing more 

 prominent and usually dark reddish-chocolate. 



Nestling. — Down rather short with silky tips, covering bird 

 rather more closely than in Bittern, but lores, round eyes and back 

 of neck bare, upper -parts and sides warm reddish-buff, chin, down 

 centre of throat and breast and belly whitish. 



Juvenile. Male and female. — Much like adult female but 

 feathers of crown duller and edged and tipped rufous ; feathers 

 covering back of neck more chestnut with narrow buff tips ; mantle 

 and scapulars more broadly edged and also tipped buff ; back, 

 rump and upper tail -coverts also tipped buff ; ear-coverts, centre 

 of chin and whole throat strongly streaked dark buff and brown ; tail- 

 feathers, wing-feathers and primary-coverts very narrowly tipped 

 pale brown ; greater coverts buff faintly mottled brown and with 

 more or less brown on inner webs (especially on inner feathers) ; 

 median and lesser wing-coverts dark brown broadly edged and tipped 

 buff. 



First winter. Male. — Like adult but sides of head and neck 

 not so grey, under-parts usually darker and more streaked, wing- 

 feathers browner, wing-coverts darker and usually with some un- 

 moulted, juvenile outer coverts and one or two rufous-brown inner- 

 most secondaries. The juvenile body-plumage, and apparently 

 wing-coverts and innermost secondaries are moulted in first autumn 

 but insufficient moulting material is available. Female. — Like adult 

 but under-parts more streaked and wing-coverts with brown shaft- 

 streaks. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 142-155 mm., tail 45-52, 

 tarsus 42-47, bill from feathers 45-52 (12 measured). ? wing 137- 



