288 
allen’s naturalist’s library 
Ruticilla titys, Newt. ed. Yarr., i., p. 333 (1873) ; Dresser, B. 
Eur., ii., p. 293, pi. 44 (1874) ; B. O. U. List Br. B., p. 9 
(1883); Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B., pt. 1 (1885); Saunders, 
Man., p. 33 (1889). 
Adult Male. — General colour above clear slaty-grey, the rump 
and upper tail-coverts bright orange-chestnut ; wing-coverts 
black, edged with slaty-grey, the tips of the greater series lighter; 
bastard-wing black ; quills blackish, externally edged with hoary 
grey, the secondaries with white, forming a large wing-patch; 
tail-feathers orange-chestnut, darker on the outer web ; the two 
centre tail-feathers dark brown, rufous towards the base of the 
outer web ; head like the back, a little lighter towards the fore- 
head, the base of which is black, like the lores, feathers round 
the eye, ear-coverts, sides of face, throat, and breast, the latter 
with grey margins to the feathers ; sides of body and flanks 
slaty-grey, the centre of the abdomen whitish ; lower flanks pale 
cinnamon, as also the under tail-coverts ; thighs black ; axil- 
laries grey, with whitish tips ; under wing-coverts black, edged 
with hoary grey ; quills dusky brown below, ashy-whitish along 
the inner web ; bill and feet black ; iris brown. Total length, 
3*2 inches; oilmen, 0-55 ; wing, 3-4; tail, 2-3 ; tarsus, 0-9. 
Adult Female. — Different from the male. Uniform slaty- 
brown, with a slight tinge of olive above; only the upper tail - 
coverts chestnut ; wings like the back, the quills edged with 
ashy-brown; tail-feathers chestnut, brown at the tips and 
towards the end of the outer web; the two centre feathers 
dark brown ; ear-coverts a little darker brown than the head ; 
eyelid whitish ; under surface of body slaty -brown, lighter than 
the upper surface, the abdomen paler ; under tail-coverts cin- 
namon ; under iving-coverts and axillaries slaty-brown like the 
breast. Total length, 6 inches; culmen, o'5 ; wing, 3-45 ; tail, 
2-35 ; tarsus, 0-95. 
The young males appear to resemble the old females during 
their first winter, and remain perfectly uniform like the hen 
birds. The summer plumage is gained by the shedding of the 
grey edges of the feathers, which leave the black face and breast 
without any moult. In fact, the black seems to spread over 
the feathers gradually, as spring approaches, as there is no 
sign of it in the young males which are killed in early winter. 
