A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



eye ; apex of chin, lores, under eye and anterior part of ear-coverts 

 brown-black ; rest of sides of head and neck white more or less 

 freckled brown-black ; under -parts white, but lower-throat and 

 upper -breast more or less mottled brown, only tips of feathers being 

 white ; flanks streaked black, feathers having most of inner web 

 black ; axillaries brown ; under wing-coverts pale brown, usually 

 more or less mottled dull white ; tail-feathers black, outermost 



usually, and occasionally other 

 feathers, with white edging 

 varying in size at tip, but 

 sometimes without ; prima- 

 ries with brown-black outer 

 webs and tips and brown 

 (pale at base) inner webs ; 

 J secondaries with brown-black 



The Little Auk (Alle alle). Adult, winter. Outer Webs, white tips and 



pale brown inner webs ; all 

 wing-coverts glossy-black as upper-parts. This plumage is ac- 

 quired by complete moult apparently Sept.-Oct. but no moult- 

 ing examples available. Summer. — The body-feathers are again 

 moulted in spring (only one moulting examined, viz. March). Like 

 winter but no white showing on back of neck ; lores, under eyes, 

 sides of head and neck and whole chin and throat extending on to 

 upper-breast deep chocolate-brown. 



Nestling. — Closely covered with longish soft down with silky 

 tips. Upper-parts, wings and throat uniform brown-black ; under- 

 pays paler dark brown, greyish in centre. 



Juvenile. — Like adult summer but upper -parts browner and 

 feathers margined blackish, throat paler brown, white spot over 

 eye very small. Tail-feathers, primaries and secondaries grow with 

 rest of juvenile plumage. 



First winter. — Like adult and often not possible to distinguish 

 but usually upper-parts rather browner and not so glossy-black as 

 adult and wings and tail especially browner, speckled white band 

 across back of neck usually more marked. No moulting examples 

 examined but apparently only juvenile body -feathers are moulted 

 and not tail, wing-feathers or wing-coverts. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 118-129 mm. (1st winter 

 112-122), tail 32-38, tarsus 19-21, bill from feathers 14-16 (12 

 measured). $ wing 115-128, bill 13-15. Primaries : 1st longest, 

 2nd 2-3 mm. shorter, 3rd 5-8 shorter, 4th 10-15 shorter, 5th 17-22 

 shorter ; narrow and pointed. Outer secondaries shorter than 10th 

 primary, inner between 8th and 9th, tips rounded. Tail slightly 

 rounded, 12 feathers, tips sharply rounded. Tibia feathered almost 

 to joint and inserted far back ; tarsus compressed ; three toes 

 (hind toe absent), slender, fully webbed ; claws slender, curved, 

 sharp, middle one dilated. Bill stout, broad at base, culmen 



