26 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS 



feathers moulting is a slow and gradual pro- 

 cess, and as far as is known with little or no 

 stated order of sequence, although I have re- 

 marked in not a few species that the feathers 

 of the head are the last to be changed. The 

 flight feathers of the wings, and those of the 

 tail, are shed and renewed in pairs, in most 

 cases, so that the bird shall not be incon- 

 venienced or incapacitated from flight during 

 the process. In some groups, however, especi- 

 ally in the Swans, Geese, and Ducks, the wing 

 quills are shed rapidly and all, practically, at 

 once, so that the birds cannot fly until the new 

 feathers have grown. The Grebes, some of the 

 Rails, and the Flamingo furnish others. During 

 this period of comparative helplessness the 

 birds skulk amongst dense cover, or repair 

 to the sea or other open expanses of water, 

 whilst the males of many species of Ducks dis- 

 card their showy plumage at this time, acquir- 

 ing a dress very similar in colour to the female, 

 which they wear for some weeks until able to 

 fly again. Incidentally we may remark that 

 one species, the Logger-headed Duck, Tachyeres 

 cinereus of Patagonia, never seems to regain 

 the power of flight after the first moult of its 

 wing quills. Young birds, generally speaking, 



