640 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Juvenile. Male and female. — Upper-parts resemble adult male 

 in summer but fore-head light buff or white ; crown sooty-black, 

 feathers edged pink- or cinnamon-buff ; feathers of centre of nape 

 with sooty-black or dusky tips faintly edged cinnamon-buff ; sides 

 of nape vinaceous-buff ; feathers of mantle and scapulars black, 

 edged at sides warm or cinnamon -buff ; back and rump as adult 

 but feathers notched at sides warm or cinnamon -buff, upper tail- 

 coverts mouse-grey similarly edged ; lateral ones more or less 

 white sometimes suffused buff ; eye-stripe, lores, cheeks, chin and 

 throat white more or less suffused pale vinaceous-buff ; sooty-black 

 line below eye across ear-coverts ; fore -neck, sides of breast and 

 flanks vinaceous-buff, feathers of breast and flanks with faint 

 terminal markings, some with central streaks of dusky ; remaining 

 under-parts white but tail-coverts in some suffused vinaceous-buff 

 or hair -brown ; tail-feathers hair-brown or mouse-grey, narrower 

 and more pointed at tip than in adult, central ones black-brown, 

 all usually narrowly bordered white or buff ; wing as adult but 

 innermost secondaries and coverts as mantle, median coverts hair- 

 brown or biack-brown edged pinkish cinnamon-buff or white, lesser 

 coverts hair-brown faintly edged greyish -white. 



First winter. — As adult but distinguished by juvenile tail and 

 wing-coverts. Apparently most body-feathers but not tail or wings 

 are moulted in autumn but very few birds examined. First summer. 

 — As adult summer and only to be distinguished when juvenile 

 coverts, especially innermost median, are not too abraded. The 

 body-feathers, tail, some innermost secondaries and coverts, some 

 median and lesser coverts are moulted in spring but not rest of 

 wings. 



Soft parts. — (Summer $). Bill orange at base, tip horn-coloured ; 

 legs and feet horn-coloured ; webs yellow ; iris dark. 



Measurements and structure. — £ wing 126-135 mm., tail 

 56-61, tarsus 20-22, bill from feathers 20-23 (12 measured). 

 ? wing 130.5-141, bill 23-25. Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd longest, 

 3rd 2-4.5 mm. shorter, 4th 7-10 shorter, 5th 15-18 shorter, 6th 

 23-28 shorter. Longest inner secondary between 3rd and 5th 

 primaries. Tail much rounded, under tail-coverts long, often 

 projecting beyond tail. Bill short, straight, broad and flattened, 

 narrowing suddenly to tip which is pointed, culmen decurved at 

 tip. Nostrils basal, nasal groove extending nearly to tip of upper 

 mandible. Legs short, tibia only slightly exposed, tarsus laterally 

 compressed, scutellated in front and behind. Foot with 4 toes, 

 outer and middle toes webbed almost to 2nd joint, inner and middle 

 ones to about 1st joint ; anterior toes margined with a lobed lateral 

 membrane, hind toe small and lobed. Plumage compact, down 

 dense and luxuriant. 



Characters. — No subspecies. Short, broad, flattened bill and 

 partially webbed feet, anterior toes with a lobed lateral membrane 

 distinguish this species. 



