328 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



giving a characteristic barred or streaked appearance ; under tail- 

 coverts white with dusky-brown subterminal bars and shadings ; 

 tail as adult male in coloration but structure juvenile ; wing as 

 adult male but coverts usually less vermiculated, innermost 

 secondaries usually with no vermiculations but sometimes faintly 

 speckled white. Female, — As juvenile male, but upper-parts without 

 or with few vermiculations ; crown sepia, feathers tipped cinnamon- 

 brown ; mantle and scapulars as male but with no vermiculations ; 

 centre of mantle dark sepia, feathers tipped buff-brown (sometimes 

 slightly vermiculated at tips) ; back uniform brown-black with a 

 few white frecklings, not vermiculated white as in juvenile male 

 and adult female ; under-parts as male but cheeks, sides of neck, 

 and throat lighter, feathers without black-brown tips ; fore-neck 

 and upper -breast lighter ; flanks with no white vermiculations or 

 speckles ; tail as male ; wing as adult female but innermost second- 

 aries and coverts without white frecklings ; median and lesser 

 coverts with no vermiculations, in some with a dusting of tiny 

 white specks. 



First winter and summer. Male* — Easily distinguished from 

 adult by retained juvenile body -feathers. In most birds upper - 

 parts resemble adult but some juvenile feathers are usually re- 

 tained on centre of mantle ; back and rump browner than in adult ;. 

 under-parts as adult but juvenile feathers often retained on upper- 

 breast, sides of body, flanks and under tail-coverts ; rest of breast^ 

 belly and vent as in juvenile (sometimes some feathers of belly are 

 renewed) wing as in juvenile but new innermost secondaries as 

 adult. Many juvenile body -feathers apparently not back, rump, 

 lower-breast, belly or vent but occasionally belly, tail, sometimes 

 some innermost secondaries are moulted Sept. to April. 



First eclipse. Male. — One July specimen examined (Schioler 

 coll.) in body-moult into eclipse plumage which appears to resemble 

 that of adult. Feathers of breast, belly and vent were retained 

 juvenile plumage. 



First winter. Female. — Upper-parts as in adult winter female 

 but mantle and scapulars less vermiculated ; back as in juvenile ; 

 new feathers of upper-breast, sides of body, flanks and under tail- 

 coverts as adult female ; rest of breast, belly and vent as juvenile. 

 Many body-feathers (apparently not back, lower-breast, belly or 

 vent), some or all tail-feathers but not wings are moulted from 

 September. First summer. — Forward young females acquire a 

 certain amount of summer plumage. April specimens examined 

 were acquiring new feathers on head, neck, mantle, scapulars, rurnp^ 

 upper and under tail -coverts, upper -breast, sides of body and flanks, 

 new growing feathers of sides of body and flanks being character- 

 istic of adult summer plumage ; rest of breast, belly and vent as 

 juvenile ; tail new or in moult and still with some juvenile feathers. 



* In assumption of this plumage some white flank -feathers, vermiculated 

 and sometimes tipped buff-brown are sometimes acquired but are soon shed,. 



