Chap. XVI. SEASONAL CHANGES OF PLUMAGE. 217 



the species, tlie sexes of wliich are alike during both 

 the summer and winter, the young may resemble 

 the adults, firstly, in their winter dress ; secondly, 

 wdiicli occurs much more rarely, in their summer 

 dress ; thirdly, they may be intermediate between 

 these two states ; and, fourthly, they may differ greatly 

 from the adults at all seasons. We have an instance 

 of the first of these four cases in one of the egrets 

 of India {Bujplius coromandus), in which the young and 

 the adults of both sexes are white during the winter, 

 the adults becoming golden-buff during the summer. 

 With the Gaper [Anastomus oscitans) of India we 

 have a similar case, but the colours are reversed ; 

 for the yonng and the adults of both sexes are grey 

 and black during the winter, the adults becoming white 

 during the summer.*^ As an instance of the second 

 case, the young of the razor-bill (Alca tor da, Linn.), 

 in an early state of plumage, are coloured like the 

 adults during the summer; and the young of the 

 white-crowned s^^arrow of North America (Frmgilla 

 leucoiohnjs), as soon as fledged, have elegant white 

 stripes on their heads, which are lost by the young and 

 the old during the winter.** With respect to the third 

 case, namely, that of the young having an intermediate 

 character between the summer and winter adult plum- 

 ages, Yarrell*^ insists that this occurs with many 



Audubon, 'Ornith. Biograpliy,' vol. i. p. 172. For the Maluri, Gould's 

 ' Handbook of the Birds of Australia,' vol. f. p. 318. 



•*•* I am indebted to Mr. Blyth for information in regard to the 

 Buphus ; see also Jerdon, ' Birds of India,' vol. iii. p. 749. On the 

 Anastomus, fcee Blyth, in ' Ibis,' 1867, p. 173. 



-1^ On the Alca, see Macgillivray, ' Hi.-.t. Brit. Birds,' vol. v. p. 347. 

 On the FrimjiUa /eitco^j/tr^/s, Audubon, ibid. vol. ii. p. 89. I shall Lave 

 hereafter to refer to the young of certain herons and egrets being 

 white. 



•^•5 'History of British Birds,' vol. i. 1839, p. 159. 



