366 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



breast cream-buff, feathers tipped blackish ; belly sometimes with 

 some new sooty-black feathers ; rest of plumage as juvenile but 

 sometimes central pair and exceptionally all tail-feathers are re- 

 newed and like adult. Some juvenile body-feathers, only a few odd 

 feathers on lower-breast, belly and vent, sometimes central pair of 

 tail-feathers but not all those of mantle and scapulars, not back, 

 rump or wing are moulted Nov. to May. 



First eclipse. Male. — Some feathers of head, nape, mantle, 

 scapulars, patch on sides of rump, upper tail- coverts, cheeks (in some 

 apparently chin and throat), most of upper-breast, sides of body, 

 flanks, sometimes under tail-coverts but not all feathers of mantle 

 and not back, rump, lower-breast , belly, vent,tail or wings are moulted 

 in Aug. Plumage as adult eclipse but some juvenile body-feathers 

 retained especially on under-parts. Nape lighter than in adult, 

 ash-brown instead of sooty-brown ; lores and cheeks buff, feathers 

 with narrower and fewer black-browTi tips ; chin, throat, fore-neck 

 and sides of neck ashy-white, feathers tipped buff ; scapulars, sides 

 of body and flanks brown -black as adult but with narrow buff tips, 

 new under tail-coverts blackish barred buff ; feathers of upper- 

 breast mostly whitish with dusky-brown bases, tipped buff and 

 more or less barred black-brown. 



Second winter and summer. Male. — As adult winter but gull- 

 grey feathers of occiput with dusky-brown tips when fresh ; feathers 

 of cheeks, sides of neck, nape, mantle and upper-breast more or 

 less tipped blackish (subsequently lost by abrasion) ; wing as adult 

 but lesser coverts brown-black, median with less white and mostly 

 tipped blackish and sometimes uniform sepia, two or three only 

 marked with white (amount of white on wing-coverts varies indi- 

 vidually). This plumage is acquired by a body-moult Sept. to Jan. 

 Second eclipse. — Not examined but probably as adult eclipse. 



Third winter and summer. — Apparently as adult. 



First winter. Female. — A certain amount of adult plumage is 

 acquired ; easily distinguished from adult by retained juvenile 

 body -feathers and wings. Sometimes crown and nape as adult but 

 edges of feathers duller and streaks narrower ; new scapulars with 

 narrower and duller reddish-tawny edges ; new feathers of upper- 

 breast, sides of body, flanks and new under tail-coverts edged duller 

 tawny. Birds occur in May, which, except for some feathers of 

 head and scapulars, are still in juvenile plumage. Some body- 

 feathers, not all those of mantle, not back (in some a few odd 

 feathers), some feathers of rump, not lower-breast, belly, vent or 

 tail-coverts, not usually tail (sometimes central pair) and not wings 

 are moulted Nov. to May. 



First eclipse. Female. — Moult as in adult female but some 

 feathers of breast, belly and vent appear to be moulted. Only to 

 be distinguished from adult eclipse by retained juvenile feathers of 

 under-parts and retained juvenile wing when not moulted. In the 

 one bird examined (20/8/17 ? in coll. E. L. Schioler) cheeks, chin 



