horse-hair. I t is about 120 mm. to 130 mm. in diameter, and its inside depth is from 40 mm. to
45 mm. The eggs vary much in size and colour, ranging from 27 mm. to 29^ mm. in length
and from 20 mm. to'21£ mm. in diameter. The ground-colour is a rich creamy tint with faint
lilaceous blotches; the eggs are mottled all over with streaks and blotches of madder-brown.”
Dr. Stejneger has given a complete account of the different plumages of this species (Pr. U.S.
Nat. Mus. xv. p. 314, 1892), which I herewith transcribe ^ L
“ Male in nestling, 'plumage (Fuji, Hondo: P. L. Jowy). Of a blackish slate-colour above, with
but a very slight suffusion of fulvous, and with very distinct pale buffy shaft-streaks; tail and wings
similarly coloured, though more fulvous towards the outer margins of the feathers; the terminal
spots of ochraceous-buff on the upper wing-cov'erts are rather large on the middle row, but nearly
obsolete on the larger ones ; the dusky spots on the underside are large, and the buffy tinge suffusing
the white ground-colour rather pale.
“ The nestling female differs considerably, being of a dark, dull, tawny olive above, with dusky
margins to the. tips of the feathers, and narrow buffy shaft-streaks, more or less pronounced; tail
and wings more fulvous than in the male, without any slaty cast, and the ochraceous tip to the
greater upper wing-coverts rather larger and well-defined; sides, breast, and fore-neck more strongly
suffused with ochraceous.
“ Young male after the firs t autumnal moult (Fusan, Corea: Jouy, April 26, 1886). Differs
very much from the male in corresponding plumage. The entire upper surface is of a dull
plumbeous or bluish slate-grey, nearly pure on the lower back and wing, and but slightly suffused
with fulvous on the head and interscapulars, but more strongly so on the secondaries, and especially
the greater upper wing-coverts, which have the tips narrowly margined with pale ochraceous-buff;
sides of head dusky, with but faint fulvous suffusion; fore-neck and breast very thickly spotted with
large, blackish, fan-shaped,, terminal spots, the visible ground-colour between them being pale
plumbeous on the chest and lower neck, whitish on the throat and chin, but suffused with
ochraceous; rest of under surface pure white, tinged with plumbeous on the flanks and with ochraceous
on the sides of the breast, these parts, besides, spotted with blackish like the breast; under
wing-coverts ochraceous-rufous.
“ Male after the followi/ng (second) autumnal moult (Hakodate: JBlakiston). Eesembles the above
in the colour of the back, but the head and face are blackish, and the fore-neck and chest are of a
uniform dull brownish slate, only the chin being whitish; secondaries and greater upper wing-
coverts are still strongly washed with fulvous, but the ochraceous wash on the underside has
disappeared, and the under wing-coverts are slate-grey in the middle, being only broadly margined
with ochraceous.
“ In the fully adult male (F u ji: Jouy) all traces of. fulvous disappear ; the black of the head,
fore-neck, and chest becomes darker and pervades the back, and even the under wing-coverts are
blackish.
“ The adult female is olive above; the fore-neck, chest, and flanks strongly suffused with
ochraceous, spotted with black; under wing-coverts bright ochraceous. In summer slightly grey
above, in winter more fulvous.”
The measurements of an adult pair of birds are as follows:—
6 ad. Total length 8-5 inches, culmen 0*85, wing 4'8, tail 3*0, tarsus 1T5.
$ ad. Total length 8 inches, wing 4'5.
The figures in the Plate represent a male and a female from Yokohama, both in the Seebohm
Collection. [F. B. S.] ,