Page:The British Warblers A History with Problems of Their Lives - 4 of 9.djvu/16

This page has been validated.

BRITISH WARBLERS

upper breast and abdomen whitish, the former being tinged with rosy buff, flanks light brown, and the under tail-coverts whitish buff. The under side of the tail is lavender brown, the under side of the wing light ashy brown, and the under wing-coverts and axillaries lavender buff. Both the upper and lower mandible are horn brown at the tip and a yellowish flesh colour at the base, iris light rusty buff, and the feet a buffish flesh colour.

Adult Female.—The plumage is very similar to that of the male, excepting that the head is brown like the back, and the colouring as a whole not quite so pure.

Fledglings.—The upper parts are dull brown, slightly more ashy on the crown and rather more ochre on the cheeks. The tail is greyish brown, each feather being edged with a rusty buff colour, and the outer web on the outermost but one is entirely this colour, while the outermost is buffish white. The wings are sepia brown, the secondaries and their coverts being broadly edged with dull rusty buff. The primaries and their coverts are narrowly edged with the same colour, the outer edge of the large primary being whitish buff. The bastard wing is sepia grey, the outer web on each feather being light rusty buff with a tinge of olive, and the under parts of the wings are ashy grey, the feathers being narrowly edged with pinkish buff. The throat and abdomen are whitish, and the crop, flanks, and under tail-coverts light buffish brown. The upper mandible is a dark greyish flesh colour, and the lower mandible the same at the tip, but light flesh colour at the base with a tinge of lavender. The gape is yellowish with a faint tinge of red, and the tongue the same colour, but rather more red at the base, with two darkish spots near the root. The tarsus is flesh colour with a trace of lavender, toes rather more brownish flesh, and claws dark ash grey with light tips.

Nestlings.—The crown is slate colour, with brownish inconspicuous edges to the feathers. The lores and sides of the face are brownish ash, the same colour extending to the

2