Page:The British Warblers A History with Problems of Their Lives - 3 of 9.djvu/14

 centres. The under part of the tail is ashy grey, the shafts of the feathers being white. The under side of the wing and the larger under wing-coverts are grey, edged with whitish buff, the axillaries olive buff, and the smaller under wing-coverts light whitish olive with dusky centres. The iris is dark brown, the small feathers on the upper eyelid being blackish, while those on the lower are white, and the lores ashy grey. The bill is bluish lead colour, and the tip of both mandibles horn black. The palate is light lavender grey, and the inside of the chin and the tongue fleshy buff. The legs are of a light lead colour, the soles having a wash of olive, and the claws dark grey.

Adult Male in Autumn.—The colouring does not differ very much from that of the spring, excepting that the back and rump are more distinctly washed with olive. The chin is whitish olive, and the abdomen has a distinct wash of light yellowish buff.

Adult Female in Spring.—The crown is of a dull umber hue, and the sides of the head and the nape ashy grey. The under parts are ashy white, washed, but not very conspicuously, on the crop and upper sides of the breast with olive ochre. This same colour extends down the flanks, becoming slightly darker and richer towards the crissum, whereas the centre of the abdomen is left ashy white. The under tail-coverts are ashy white near the body, becoming olive ash towards the tip. The upper part of the tail is ashy grey washed with olive, and the under part ashy grey. The under wing-coverts are whitish ash washed with light olive ochre, and the under side of the flight-feathers grey, edged with whitish ash. The feathers on the upper eyelid are the same colour as those on the crown, those on the lower whitish grey. Upper mandible is dark horn colour, lower lead blue slightly darker at the tip.

Nestling.—The crown is brownish buff. The upper parts are olive grey, flight-feathers slate colour, wing-coverts and innermost secondaries edged with olive grey. The throat is