742 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



inner portion of inner web grey, 7th as 6th but with still narrower 

 band (frequently absent from outer web), rest of primaries grey 

 with white tips and white shafts ; outer and innermost secondaries 

 grey tipped white, but middle ones entirely white ; outer primary- 

 coverts and coverts along edge of wing white, inner primary-coverts 

 grey as rest of wing-coverts but narrowly fringed white. This 

 plumage is acquired by complete moult late summer to Dec. 

 Summer. — Body -feathers and varying number of inner wing- 

 coverts and one or two innermost secondaries are moulted Dec. to 

 Mar. Like winter but whole head all round jet-black, short white 

 stripe immediately above and below eye. 



Nestling. — Closely covered with not very long down with hair- 

 like tips. Upper-parts greyish- white slightly tinged buffish, almost 

 uniform but nape, mantle, back and wings faintly and finely 

 speckled pale brown, under -parts white slightly tinged buffish on 

 throat. 



Juvenile. — Whole upper-parts dark brown (paler on crown), 

 feathers tipped greyish-white and with basal concealed portions 

 mostly slate-grey ; rump and upper tail-coverts white sparsely 

 spotted dark brown ; round eye and stripe behind eye black-brown, 

 short white streak immediately above and below eye ; lores and 

 sides of head paler brown, feathers tipped grey -white ; centre of 

 throat white with a few brown spots, sides of throat more spotted 

 and feathers of lower-throat and upper-breast with broad brown 

 penultimate bands or spots forming a collar ; rest of under-parts 

 white but lower under tail-coverts with a few large black-brown 

 spots ; axillaries and under wing-coverts white tipped dark brown, 

 forming a brown band along edge of wing ; tail with slightly more 

 than basal half white, rest black-brown, narrowly tipped white, 

 outer feather with less black ; primaries black-brown, paler on inner 

 webs which are dull white basally this extending in varying amount 

 in wedge-shape towards tip in 3rd to 7th, rest of inner primaries 

 with small white tips, white of inner webs extending nearly to tip and 

 outer webs with whitish-grey edging (varying in size) anterior to 

 tip ; secondaries black-brown margined and tipped white ; primary- 

 coverts black-brown, innermost tipped white ; greater coverts 

 brown broadly margined dull slate-grey ; innermost secondaries 

 and greater coverts as scapulars ; median coverts brown margined 

 and tipped grey-white ; lesser coverts brown, narrowly fringed 

 grey -white. N.B. — Only examples examined were considerably 

 worn and commencing moult to first winter. 



First winter. — Like juvenile but head, throat, breast, rump 

 and upper tail-coverts white with no brown except round eye and 

 stripe behind eye ; mantle and scapulars more or less slate-grey, 

 feathers usually with brown-black centres ; old plumage much 

 abraded and faded. The juvenile body -plumage is partially 

 moulted Oct.-Dec, but many feathers are retained and tail and 

 wings are not moulted. Summer. — Another partial moult involving 

 body, varying number of wing-coverts and some innermost second- 





