150 Our Bird Friexds. 



trying period in the yearly round of a bird's 

 life, and silence reigns o'er every grove where it 

 is o'oino- on. 



A great number of birds, such as Ducks, Owls, 

 Hawks, and SwalloAvs, have only one inoult every 

 year, and that takes place in the autumn, when 

 every feather, great and small, is cast ofi' and 

 replaced by a new one. 



Gulls, Plovers, Pipits, and Wagtails, amongst 

 others, have a s])ring and aulunui moult, in some 

 cases including all or most of the small feathers and 

 some of the wing and tail (juills. Amongst double 

 moulters may also be inchidrd the lied Grouse, 

 a very strange thing about whi<h is that the males 

 and females change their phuiiage at ditierent tiuies. 

 The former luoults in autumn and winter, and the 

 latter in the sunnner and autumn 



Some species, such as Ptarmigan, Willow Gr«»use, 

 and Grebes, change their dresses, partially or 

 completely, as many as three times a year. 



Tn addition to these com[)lete and ])artial moults, 

 there is what naturalists term a " border moult," 

 which means the shedding oF certain portions of 

 a l)ir(rs feathers, whereby a visil)le change of colour 

 is etfected. It is believed that an absolute seasonal 

 change of colour takes place in the feathers of such 

 birds as the Wheatear and Stonechat, without even 

 the assistance of a partial mcMilt. 



In the siirintrtinie, when everything is tilled with 

 awakening life and rivalry, the male members ot' 



