390 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



axillaries white ; under wing-coverts white, those at edge of wing 

 dark ash-brown ; tail-feathers dark ash-grey ; primaries sepia, 

 outer webs black-brown ; secondaries sepia broadly tipped white, 

 outer webs black, secondary next innermost with outer web white, 

 narrowly bordered black, innermost ash-grey, sometimes shading 

 to sepia on inner web, sometimes with outer web narrowly bordered 

 white ; primary-coverts and bastard-wing as primaries ; greater 

 coverts as secondaries but inner ones with outer or both webs white ; 

 median coverts white ; rest of wing-coverts blackish-grey or black- 

 brown, those at bend of wing and often lesser coverts more or less 

 tipped white. The body -feathers and innermost secondaries are 

 moulted from autumn to Dec. 



Adult male. Eclipse. — The body-feathers (all ?) are first moulted 

 followed by wings and tail in autumn. Very like adult female but 

 easily distinguished by larger size, black on mantle and larger white 

 patch on median coverts. Head and neck as adult female, but crown 

 and crest tinged buff- brown ; no black patch on lores or encircling 

 eye, these areas cinnamon -brown ; centre of upper-mantle inter- 

 mixed with blackish feathers ; small patch at sides of lower-rump 

 dark ash-brown more or less vermiculated ashy-white as in winter ; 

 under -parts as female ; wing as winter but new innermost second- 

 aries with inner webs sepia, outer webs faintly bordered blackish- 

 grey. (Only one examined.) 



Adult female. Winter and summer. — Fore -head, crown, region 

 behind eye and centre of nape cinnamon- brown (sometimes region 

 behind eye, crest and nape russet) ; lores and region below eye 

 brown-black, merging below eye with cinnamon-brown of cheeks ; 

 nape bordering mantle mouse-grey more or less suffused buff-brown ; 

 mantle, back, rump and upper tail-coverts blackish mouse-grey, 

 feathers mostly with deep grey edges ; scapulars dark ash-brown 

 more or less suffused buff -brown at tip, many with deep grey tips ; 

 upper and sides of breast ash-grey or ash-brown more or less con- 

 cealed by long white tips of feathers ; sides of body and flanks 

 mouse -grey, feathers more or less tipped greyish- white or greyish- 

 buff, some vermiculated white towards base, remaining under- 

 pays white ; tail as male ; wing as male, but innermost second- 

 aries sepia or black-brown, outer webs sometimes more or less 

 frosted dark grey ; secondaries and greater coverts usually with 

 narrower white tips and white patch on median coverts much less 

 extensive. This plumage is acquired by complete moult in autumn 

 and winter ; very little moulting material examined. Summer.' — 

 Only a few birds examined ; none in moult. Coloration apparently 

 as winter. 



Nestling. — (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. Male and female. — Like adult female but easily dis- 

 tinguished by ash-brown tips to white wing-coverts ; head and nape 

 rather paler cinnamon-brown ; no black patch on lores or encircling 

 eye, these areas cinnamon-brown ; upper-breast pale ash-brown, 

 feathers tipped white ; sides of body and flanks dark ash-brown, 



