the Natural History of the Black Stork. 23 
and toes dull orange. "These parts have changed but little, and 
perhaps are rather brighter in colour than at first. | 
Indisposition having prevented my seeing the bird since the 
last-mentioned. period till the middle of March, I was much sur- 
prised to find the appearance of a few feathers on the upper part 
of the back, that were dusky, resplendent with violet and purple, 
having a margin of dark glossy green. These elegant feathers 
continued to increase in number, till the whole upper part of the 
back had nearly assumed this beautiful plumage by the first of 
April. At this time no other part of the bird indicated any further 
change of plumage: the scapulars and coverts, many of which had 
recently changed, continued of the same colour as last described, 
without the purple reflections or marginal green. It is scarcely 
possible to account for such a succession of change in plumage 
in so short a time, except by supposing that a change in the con- 
stitution of the bird, produced by captivity and a want of natural 
food, had caused obstruction to the usual course of moulting, and 
that the autumnal change had been retarded, and was scarcely 
effected before the spring moulting commenced. ‘The bill at this 
season has also become more orange. — | 
V. Some 
