THE WOODCOCK. 683 



innermost secondaries and coverts, some median and lesser coverts, 

 but not wings, are moulted Feb. to May. Coloration as winter. 



Nestling (Plate 9). — Fore-head and broad band over eye to nape 

 light ochraceous-buff, a russet median streak from base of upper man- 

 dible to crown ; crown russet intermixed with light ochraceous-buff, 

 •centre of nape russet, sides light ochraceous-buff ; an irregular and 

 interrupted russet band from nape to uropygial tuft, another across 

 wing ; rest of upper -parts and sides of bod} 7 with irregular bands and 

 patches of ochraceous-buff and russet ; from base of upper mandible 

 to eye a broad black-brown streak ; a small patch of same behind 

 eye ; a patch of russet on lower -throat ; rest of under -parts light 

 ochraceous-buff. 



Juvenile. — As adult but easily recognized by looser and softer 

 structure of feathers ; feathers of fore-part of crown have usually 

 more pronounced dusky-brown tips and appear more spotted and 

 marked than in adult ; black of hinder crown duller and less exten- 

 sive ; buff bars across hinder crown narrower and less pronounced ; 

 feathers of nape with dusky-brown bases more or less exposed ; 

 feathers of mantle like adult but with extensive ashy-brown bases 

 and barred or marked pink-buff, pink-cinnamon or orange -cinnamon 

 and in some black mantle -feathers and scapulars with smaller black 

 and pink-buff tips and patches than in adult ; back and rump 

 ash-brown, feathers broadly tipped orange -cinnamon and more or 

 less barred black-brown ; upper tail-coverts less distinctly barred 

 and without buff tips ; under-parts with narrower and paler bars ; 

 under tail-coverts pink-buff with irregular markings and barrings 

 of dusky-brown and without white tips ; central pair of tail- 

 feathers as adult but streaked as well as notched pinkish or orange - 

 cinnamon, remainder black usually for two -thirds of their length 

 and tipped pink-cinnamon barred black, shading sometimes to a 

 narrow tip of smoke -grey, black portion with outer web barred 

 -and mottled to shaft, or streaked pink-cinnamon (sometimes black 

 continuous to smoke-grey tip), tail-feathers never with such broad 

 or such pure white tips on under surface ; wing as adult but coverts 

 often with imperfectly concealed ashy-brown bases, more uniformly 

 barred dusky-black and orange-cinnamon, not so variegated as in 

 adult, only a few median coverts towards centre tipped pink-buff. 



First winter. — As adult and not to be distinguished with cer- 

 tainty ; remiges and some wing-co verts usually appear more worn. 

 The juvenile body-feathers, tail, innermost secondaries and coverts, 

 apparently all or most greater, median and lesser coverts are 

 moulted in autumn but not rest of wings. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 191-205 mm., tail 71-82, 

 tarsus 34-38, bill from feathers 68-75 (12 measured). $ wing 

 191-208, bill 67-80. Primaries : 1st minute, 2nd longest, 3rd equal 

 or 2-5 mm. shorter, 4th 6-10 shorter, 5th 13-20 shorter, 6th 23-30 

 shorter. Longest inner secondary between 4th and 7th primaries. 

 Tail short and rounded, 12 feathers rather blunt at tip. Bill long, 

 straight, tapering, inconspicuously pitted terminally, grooves 



