Adult female. General colour above ashy olive-brown, a little clearer brown on the lower back,
rump, and upper tail-coverts; wing-coverts like the back, the greater series somewhat fulvous-brown
externally, with a yellowish-buff spot at the ends (doubtless the remains of young plumage); bastard-
wing, primary-coverts, and quills dusky broAyn, externally ashy on the primaries, the others
externally like the back; tail-feathers dusky brown, washed with olive-brown on both webs; crown
of head ashy-brown, the feathers at the base of the forehead and above the eye whitish; lores dull
ashy; sides of face, ear-coverts, and cheeks light ashy-brown; throat white, streaked with brown
along the sides; fore-neck, breast, and sides of body light tawny, deeper on the latter, with a shade,
of ashy on the fore-neck and chest, the feathers on the flanks edged with ashy-whitish; centre of
lower breast, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white, the latter edged with pale tawny; axillaries
and under wing-coverts ashy-whitish, with a slight tinge of tawny; quills dusky below, ashy
along the inner web. Total length 7*8 inches, culmen 0*9, wing 4, tail 3, tarsus 1*2.
A dult male. Similar to the female in colour. Total length 8 inches, culmen O’98, wing 4*3,
tail 2-95, tarsus 1*25.
In the series brought home by Dr. C. W. Andrews from Christmas Island very little difference
in colour can be detected. Specimens obtained in February and March are a little more olive above
and less grey on the chest than those procured in October and November, but the differences are
scarcely perceptible.
Young. Darker and more olive-brown than the adults, the feathers of the head and back centred
with yellowish-buff shaft-line.s, and the wing-coverts tipped with triangular spots of buff; ear-coverts
dark brown, with whitish shaft-lines; cheeks buff, separated from the buffy-white throat by a malar
line of ashy-brown spots ; fore-neck, breast, and sides of body reddish-buff, mottled with dusky spots
at the end of the feathers; abdomen white, with dusky spots on the feathers; under tail-coverts
white, with reddish-brown margins.
The description of the female is taken from the type specimen, and that of the male and young
from birds obtained by Dr. Andrews. The specimens figured in the Plate are in the Seebohm
Collection, and were obtained on Christmas Island by Mr. J. J. Lister. [E-. B. S.]
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