THE GOLDENEYE. 333 



with sub -terminal dusky- brown markings) forming light patch on 

 wing, varying considerably in extent and whiteness individually ; 

 lesser coverts as female but lighter, tips narrower. 



Juvenile. Female. — As juvenile male but greater coverts 

 usually more broadly tipped black as in adult female, median coverts 

 usually with less white, upper series blackish-grey or mouse-grey, 

 more or less shaded pale grey or pale greyish-white towards tip, 

 forming a light patch on wing varying in extent individually. 

 JST.B. — Juvenile males may usually be distinguished from juvenile 

 females (apart from their larger size) by more extensive light patch 

 on wing, median coverts of which are whiter but in some males 

 these are indistinguishable from those of some females. 



First winter. Male. — Head, neck, mantle and scapulars as 

 adult winter-summer female, but scapulars without or with only a 

 few whitish tips ; new feathers of upper -breast, sides of body and 

 flanks as adult female ; rest of plumage as juvenile. This plumage 

 is assumed in Sept. and Oct. by a partial body-moult and is usually 

 worn only for a short time (though backward birds in first winter 

 plumage may occur in March). First summer. — In forward males, 

 no dividing line can be drawn between these plumages ; black 

 feathers glossed green appear on head ; lores intermixed with white, 

 in some loral patch almost as much developed as in adults ; lower - 

 neck with a white collar intermixed on nape with white feathers 

 tipped ash-brown ; new feathers of mantle black narrowly edged 

 deep grey ; new scapulars white with outer or both webs narrowly 

 edged black, some blackish-grey with one or both webs (some 

 centre only) shaded silvery-grey or white ; fore -neck and upper - 

 breast white ; sides of body and flanks intermixed with white 

 feathers with outer webs black-brown (some mottled dusky) some 

 white narrowly bordered black as in adult male, or white more or 

 less marked deep ash-grey ; rest of body-feathers as adult female ; 

 tail as adult male ; wing as juvenile. Some body-feathers (appar- 

 ently not back, rump, lower-breast, belly or vent) and tail are 

 moulted from Sept. onwards, but apparently not wings ; in less 

 forward males only some of above plumage is acquired. 



First winter and summer. Female. — As adult female, but dis- 

 tinguished by juvenile median coverts ; scapulars with dark grey, 

 not white, tips (some sometimes faintly edged greyish -white) ; white 

 collar on fore-neck apparently never such a clean white as in adult 

 female, feathers mostly with ash-brown bases, moult apparently as 

 male. 



First eclipse. Male and female. — Moult and coloration appar- 

 ently as in adults ; only to be distinguished from adults when 

 juvenile wing-coverts have not been shed. 



Measurements and structure. — £ wing 207-227 mm., tail, 77- 

 90, tarsus 34-38, bill from feathers 31-36 (12 measured). $ wing 

 197-210, bill 28-31. Primaries : 1st narrow, pointed and about 

 half longest primary-covert, 2nd and 3rd about equal and longest, 

 4th 10-12 mm. shorter, 5th 22-26 shorter, 6th 35-39 shorter ; 2nd 



