Page:The British Warblers A History with Problems of Their Lives - 6 of 9.djvu/12

 and the sides of the head the same colour as the upper parts, only somewhat lighter and more buffish. The throat is whitish, the upper breast the same colour, only washed with olive buff and striped narrowly with lemon yellow, and the abdomen whitish. The flanks are olive grey washed with a yellow tint, the under tail-coverts whitish washed with yellow, and the underside of the wings and tail lavender grey. The axillaries and under wing-coverts are sulphur yellow. The upper mandible is horn brown, the lower yellowish buff, and the flanges light lemon yellow. The iris is brown, the feathers on the eyelid whitish yellow, and the feet and claws brown, the soles being olive yellow.

The sexes are alike in plumage.

In autumn the upper parts are richer and of a more greenish olive brown, the primaries have narrow light olive grey tips, and the colouring of the under parts is more intense.

Nestling.—The upper parts are olive grey, slightly brighter on the forehead and rump. The wing and tail feathers are darkish ash grey, the flight and tail feathers being narrowly edged with olive buff and the greater wing-coverts and the rest of the feathers on the wing broadly margined with olive grey. The lores are dark ash grey, sides of the head olive brown, and the superciliary stripe—which is not very conspicuous—is light yellowish buff, the feathers on the eyelid being of this latter colour. The throat is bright yellowish buff and the pectoral tract is the same colour but suffused with light lavender buff. The flanks are also bright yellowish buff. The abdomen and the under tail-coverts are light yellow, and the underside of the tail and flight feathers is light ash grey. The mouth is orange buff, but the tip of the tongue is rather more reddish.

The upper mandible is greyish horn colour and the lower buff colour, the flanges being whitish yellow. The iris is dark greyish brown. The feet are light greyish olive, and the toes rather more of a buff colour with olive yellow soles, the claws being greyish brown.