Page:The British Warblers A History with Problems of Their Lives - 9 of 9.djvu/18

 is dark slate and this colour continues under the eye and becomes ashy grey on the ear-coverts and sides of the neck. The throat, under parts, and flanks are rusty chocolate, the feathers on the throat having whitish shaft lines. The abdomen is whitish, the under tail-coverts smoky brown narrowly tipped and edged with whitish, the under side of the tail slate colour, and the inner web of the outermost tail-feather the same colour. The bill is dark horn brown, flanges and the base of the lower mandible reddish, and there is a dark reddish brown ring round the eye. The feet are brownish flesh colour.

Adult Female.—The upper parts are a uniform brown colour, slightly darker and more greyish on the forehead. The wing-coverts are the same colour as the back, the flight feathers brown, the innermost secondaries being edged with light brown, whilst the remainder are narrowly edged with whitish brown on the outer webs. The tail-feathers are greyish brown narrowly edged with brown, the outer web of the outermost tail-feather being light greyish toward the tip and the inner web brown with a wedge-shaped spot near the end. The shafts are brown. The throat, under parts, and flanks are light rust colour, the throat being spotted with whitish and the flanks slightly washed with brown. The abdomen is whitish, the under tail-coverts brown, and the under side of the tail greyish, each feather being narrowly edged with light grey. The space in front of the eye is grey, divided from the crown by a narrow whitish stripe. The ear-coverts are brown, the sides of the neck brown slightly washed with ash colour, and the moustache stripe almost light ash colour. The bill is light horn colour.

Nestling.—The general colour is somewhat like the adult female. The upper parts are earth brown, slightly darker on the crown, but lighter and washed with ashy brown on the nape, rump and upper tail-coverts. The wings are greyish brown, all the feathers being edged with rusty brown. The tail-feathers are greyish brown. The sides of the head are