DETAILED LIST OF BIRDS, 
255 
a fall of snow, which had occurred a few days previously. 
A good number of the next species were mixed up in the 
flocks. [G. H.'] 
We never get this species except in the winter, and then 
it is in a stage of plumage that I have never seen correctly 
described, and a description of which I therefore subjoin."^ 
No one could well recognise our birds, either from Breeds 
figure of the summer plumage, or Dr. Jerdon^s description; 
his " dark rufous moustachial line and " triangular patch 
of white on the throat,^'' belong to a stage of plumage that 
I have never met with. Dr. Henderson notes of a male — 
length, 6 25 ; tail from vent, 3 ; foot — greatest length, 
* JEmheriza leucocephala. 
Winter plumage : Male. — Lores, orbits, sides of the head, chin, 
throat, cheeks, and upper portion of sides of the neck deep chestnut, the 
feathers more or less edged with white. Enclosed within this chestnut is 
a white patch, which beginning as a streak from the gape, expands and 
covers the whole ear-coverts, and is faintly bounded by a dusky line. 
From the forehead on either side of the crown, immediately above the 
chesti.ut of the lores and orbits, is a brownish grey band, containing two 
hlackish brown strenks. The whole space of forehead, crown, and occiput 
enclosed between these two bands is white, the feathers tipped more or less 
with brownish grey. The nape is greyish brown. The back a pale 
yellowish brown — the feathers with dark brown centres and more or less 
tinged towards the tips with rufous. The rump and upper tail-coverts 
bright chestnut, the feathers narrowly tipped with greyish white. Tail- 
feathers dark brown, the central ones somewhat broadly, the laterals 
narrowly, edged with fulvous fawn. The exterior lateral feathers white for 
the terminal two4hirds, the penultimate for the terminal half, except a 
dark brown shaft stripe. The scapulars, tertials, and secondary greater 
coverts broadly tipped with rufous fawn, paling towards the edges. 
Secondary median coverts rather conspicuously tipped with rufescent 
white. Secondaries, primaries, and their greater coverts grey brown, very 
narrowly margined on their exterior webs with rufous fawn or rufescent 
white. Breast, abdomen, vent, lower tail-coverts, and wing lining, white, 
mottled across the middle of the breast and streaked on the flanks and 
irides with pale chestnut. 
Female. — Top and back and sides of the head, including ear-coverts, 
a warm fulvous brown, the top and back of the head with central dark 
brown stripes. No trace of the white crown patch of the male until the 
feathers are lifted, when the central portions of the feathers of these parts 
are seen to be white. No chestnut anywhere about head, neck, or throat. 
No white on the ear-coverts. The whole of the rest of the upper parts 
similar to the male but somewhat warmer coloured. Throat yellowish 
white. Breast, sides, and flanks pale yellowish brown, the feathers with 
dark brown central striae. 
