576 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



coverts are moulted March to May. Sometimes some winter body- 

 feathers are retained and rectrices and remiges are not moulted. 

 Tore-head white ; crown orange -cinnamon streaked brown-black, 

 feathers narrowly edged white ; nape paler narrowly streaked 

 dusky ; mantle and scapulars brown -black broadly margined 

 orange -cinnamon and tipped ash-grey ; back, rump and upper 

 tail-coverts black-brown, feathers edged orange -cinnamon ; sides 



of back, rump and lateral upper 

 tail-coverts as winter ; ear-coverts, 

 cheeks and sides of neck orange- 

 cinnamon streaked dusky ; chin 

 and throat as winter ; breast more 

 or less washed pink - cinnamon, 

 feathers broadly edged white and 

 spotted and shaded dusky most 

 pronounced at sides of breast ; 

 Female adult, winter. remaining under -parts white ; tail- 



feathers as winter but two central 

 pairs edged orange -cinnamon ; wing as winter but innermost 

 secondaries and coverts and new median and lesser coverts black- 

 brown broadly edged orange -cinnamon. 



Nestling. — Down on fore -head warm buff with a black-brown 

 median line ; nape ochraceous-buff ; crown and upper -parts 

 cinnamon -rufous mottled with black, tipped white or buff ; a black 

 line from lores to eye ; cheeks, eye-stripe and upper-breast ochra- 

 ceous-buff ; remaining under -parts white. 



Juvenile. — Fore -part of fore -head white ; crown black-brown, 

 feathers edged buff ; nape greyish -white streaked dusky ; mantle 

 and scapulars black-brown, feathers edged ochraceous -tawny or 

 warm buff and cream ; back, rump and central upper tail-coverts 

 black-brown, feathers edged ochraceous-tawny ; lores dusky ; 

 breast suffused light buff and sides shaded or streaked dusky ; rest 

 of under-parts as adult ; tail-feathers as adult but central pair 

 edged tawny ; wing as adult but innermost secondaries and coverts 

 as scapulars ; median coverts ash-brown or sepia edged buff ; lesser 

 coverts sepia, faintly tipped buff. 



First winter. — As adult winter but distinguished by worn buff 

 edges to juvenile wing-coverts. The juvenile body -feathers (not 

 all feathers of back and rump nor all scapulars), occasionally central 

 pair of tail-feathers, some innermost secondaries and coverts, some 

 median and lesser coverts are moulted Sept. to Jan. but not rest of 

 wings or tail-feathers. First summer. — Moult as in adult and 

 plumage like adults and only to be distinguished by buff edges to 

 retained juvenile wing-coverts. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 90-102 mm., tail 34-A2, 

 tarsus 19-22, bill from feathers 17-19.5 (12 measured). ? wing 

 94.5-102, bill 18-20. Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd longest, 3rd 

 equal or 2-4 mm. shorter, 4th 5-8 shorter, 5th 12-16 shorter, 6th 

 20-23 shorter. Longest inner secondary between 4th and 8th 



