14 M. Saint-Hilaire on the Females of Pheasants 



means rare to see the spur developed, as an anomaly among 

 the females of species, where the males only are ordinarily fur- 

 nished with that organ, especially among common fowls. But 

 in this case, besides the spur being mostly much smaller, it 

 has generally the appearance of an anomalous organ. Thus 

 the two spurs are very unequal, and sometimes even, when 

 one heel is armed with a very large spur, the other is alto- 

 gether without any. It consequently happens, that a female 

 may often be distinguished from the male, though in other 

 respects resembling him, by the anomalous formation of the 

 spur. 



As the pheasant can be domesticated like the common fowl, 

 and approximates to it very nearly in organization, it is natu- 

 ral to conclude, that the spur would present similar pheno- 

 mena. And so it proved in the hen of the collared pheasant, 

 the left spur was developed much more than the right ; it was 

 slender, and the surface, as it were, tuberculated. 



Be this as it may, the possibility of the complete change of 

 plumage in one species — a fact neither observed by Mauduit, 

 nor by any other ornithologist — being well established, are 

 we authorized to conclude, that it may equally take place in 

 other species, not only of the pheasant, but of other genera ? 

 I conceive we can scarcely hesitate to answer in the affirma- 

 tive, as far as the species of one genus are concerned, since 

 we have seen the change perfected in one instance, and partly 

 perfected in two others. Taking analogy for our guide, we 

 should be tempted to extend very considerably this conclu- 

 sion ; and there are, indeed, many circumstances which come 

 in support of it Thus many travellers have descriptions, 

 which can only be explained by the supposition that they 

 have spoken of females more or less clothed with male plu- 

 mage. M. Dufresne, who is at the head of the zoological la- 

 boratory of the museum, has assured me, that the females of 

 the genus Ampelis resemble the males in old age. M. Flo- 

 rent Prevost has witnessed the commencement of a change of 

 plumage in many females of Fringilla ; and the same obser- 

 vation has been made upon the female of the Rouge-queue, * 



• This name has been applied by the French to several birds ; and as 

 the author does not give the scientific name, we are afraid to fix upon any- 

 particular individual. 



