360 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



one next innermost as preceding ones, sometimes with a small 

 white mark towards tip, but never with so much white as in adult ; 

 innermost secondaries narrower than in adult and only slightly 

 sickle -shaped with outer or both webs white, distal halves black- 

 brown, in some inner webs sepia (amount of white varies individu- 

 ally) ; greater coverts as secondaries, amount of white on inner- 

 most variable ; median coverts white more or less tipped and 

 mottled brown-black ; lesser coverts and sometimes innermost 

 median and those at edge of wing sepia (sometimes some innermost 

 median and lesser coverts mottled white) ; rest of wing as in adult. 

 This plumage is acquired by a body-moult from July onwards. 

 N.B. — Blackish edges to feathers of head, upper and under-parts 

 are more or less lost by abrasion. 



Second eclipse. Male. — Moult as in adult eclipse. Plumage as 

 in adult but distinguished from adult and first eclipse (before 

 remiges are shed) by black-brown innermost secondaries more or 

 less marked white, blackish tips (when not too abraded) to median 

 coverts and faded brown lesser coverts. 



Third winter and summer. M ale. — As adult winter but back 

 and rump as in 2nd winter (but centre of rump intermixed with 

 whitish feathers with ash-brown bases), white sickle-shaped inner- 

 most secondaries and coverts with brownish tips, some inner, 

 greater and median coverts mottled brownish ; coverts at edge and 

 bend of wing brown ; under wing -coverts white those at edge and 

 bend of wing brownish some tipped white. 



Third eclipse. Male. — In this and subsequent plumages as 

 adult. 



First winter and summer. Female. — Upper-parts resemble 

 adult female eclipse more than winter and summer, from which it 

 differs by crown being darker, feathers not so broadly edged buff ; 

 nape dark ash-brown, some feathers edged buff ; new feathers of 

 mantle, scapulars, sides of body and flanks sepia shading to brown- 

 black at tip and edged cinnamon-buff or ochraceous -tawny, edges 

 much narrower than in adult ; back and rump as juvenile ; new 

 upper tail-coverts brown-black with subterminal ochraceous -tawny- 

 bars ; new feathers of sides of rump as adult ; cheeks and sides 

 of neck brown-buff rather more heavily streaked black-brown or 

 dusky-brown than in adult ; chin and throat ashy-white narrowly 

 streaked dusky-brown or black-brown ; new feathers of rest of 

 under-parts as adult winter -summer. Most body-feathers, not 

 usually all those of mantle or scapulars, sometimes some of back 

 and rump, in some all, in others only a few upper and under tail- 

 coverts, not usually lower -breast, belly or vent but in some most 

 of under-parts, sometimes central pair, or all tail-feathers but not 

 wings are moulted Nov. to April or later. In some moult is very 

 incomplete. 



First eclipse. Female. — Moult and coloration apparently as in 

 adult eclipse and only to be distinguished when some worn juvenile 

 body-feathers are retained and by worn juvenile wing when not 



