DETAILED LOST OF BIRDS. 
207 
show themselves in the specimens killed early in September. 
A narrow band from the forehead over the eye, and ear- 
coverts fawny white. Fronts top, and back of the head, 
and back of the neck, grey brown. Possibly in full breed- 
ing plumage these parts may be white, because on lifting 
the feathers the medial portion of each feather is shown 
to be white, the tips only brown, the bases dusky. In 
the specimen which has assumed least of the winter dress 
the medial white portion is far broader and more con- 
spicuous than in other specimens further advanced towards 
the winter plumage. 
Wings, scapulars, and interscapulary region black, pro- 
bably in full breeding plumage nearly pure black j but in the 
September specimens all the feathers of the back are so 
tipped with rufous brown that the black is greatly concealed, 
and all the coverts, tertiaries, and secondaries are broadly 
margined with rufous fawn. Rump and upper tail-coverts 
pure white, central tail-feathers black, except for the basal 
one fourth, where they are white ; lateral tail-feathers white, 
the exterior on each side tipped for about 0*75 with black, 
the penultimate similarly tipped for about 0*4, and the rest 
-^'ith only a black spot at the tip, decreasing in size as the 
feathers approach the central ones, and disappearing entirely 
in some specimens. Lower breast and abdomen rufous 
fawn, paling towards the vent, which, with the lower tail 
coverts, is in some specimens nearly pure white. Wing 
lining, axillaries, and sides black, but a little white mottling 
along the edge of the wing at the carpal joint. 
The females have the foreheads and a stripe over the 
eye rufous fawn colour, the lores slighly dusky, the ear- 
coverts more rufous. Chin, throat, and sides of the neck 
nearly unicolorous with the breast, which is as in the male, 
but the chin and throat are slightly greyer. The front, 
top, and back of the head and neck, and back, are slightly 
rufous grey brown, the bases of the feathers being rather 
pale bluish dusky. The wings and tail are as in the male, 
but with dark brown substituted for black. \_A. O. H.] 
