492 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



winter plumage (i.e. its 3rd feathered plumage) are commencing to 

 grow. Upper -parts much like adult female but with no yellow or 

 orange on head, bars browner not so black and penultimate black 

 spot more horse-shoe shaped and larger than in adult, scapulars 

 more closely barred at tip and without purple-brown patches; 

 chin and throat uniform buff ; feathers of lower -throat and upper- 

 breast with brown shaft-streaks and loop-shaped marks ; lower- 

 breast whitish-buff ; smaller area of brown on belly ; tail-feathers 

 all broadly barred brown, outer feathers with tips and distal part 

 of outer webs pale buff, central pair only a little longer than rest 

 and not finely pointed ; primaries as adult but browner with less 

 grey and tips (except of outermost) with irregular surrounding 

 lines and frecklings of buff and brown ; secondaries browner on 

 outer webs than in adult and innermost with alternating brown 

 and buff surrounding lines instead of bars ; primary-coverts with 

 brown irregular bars and frecklings at tips ; outer webs of greater 

 coverts sand-buff not purple-brown as adult ; rest of wing-coverts 

 with black-brown horse -shoe shaped bars instead of spots as adult. 

 Basal, plumulous portion of all body-feathers pale buff. 



First winter. Male. — Like adult male but frequently several 

 juvenile outer primaries and primary-coverts are retained, otherwise 

 juvenile plumage is completely (including wings and tail) moulted. 

 Female. — Like adult female. Moult as in male. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 230-265 mm., tail : 

 central pair 170-215, outermost 58-78, tarsus 20-24, bill from 

 feathers 9-11 (12 measured). $ wing 215-235, tail : central 125- 

 160. Primaries : 1st minute and hidden, 2nd longest, 3rd 30-50 

 mm. shorter, 4th 45-65 shorter, 5th 50-85 shorter, 6th 65-95 

 shorter ; 2nd with much elongated, fine pointed tip (longest in 

 adult male), rest with pointed tips. Outer 

 secondaries very short, innermost as long 

 as 8th or 9th primary, tips sharply 

 rounded. Tail graduated, 16 feathers 

 (one with 18), central pair extremely elon- 

 gated with finely pointed tips (longest in 



F %y1rIapufl!rZ d ofuT Se ^^ male) ' reSt mUCh shoI>ter aild g™ ^- 



ated, tips finely pointed in inner feathers, 

 becoming broader in outer ; in juvenile central pair not greatly 

 elongated nor finely pointed. Upper and under tail-coverts long 

 and pointed. Tarsus and toes feathered to claws, 3 toes, very 

 short and joined together to base of claws forming a flat sole. Bill 

 short, compressed and rather strong, basal part feathered to front 

 of slit -like nostrils. 



Soft parts. — Bill ashy-blue ; claws black ; iris dark brown. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Feathered toes, distinctive colour- 

 ing and elongated outer primary and central tail-feathers easily 

 distinguish it. 



Breeding-habits. — Breeds in great numbers in western central 



