ig8 



It will be noticed that there is a hollow at the base of the old 

 feather which has just become detached from the bulb of the 

 new feather. In a small box I have a large number of old 

 feathers which I found in the cage in which the Orange Bishop 

 was kept, and at the base of each feather there is a hollow which 

 had covered the top of the new feather. 



In writing the above I do not offer it as a proof that all 

 Weavers don their nuptial plumage in the same way as the 

 Orange Bishop and Grenadier Weaver. But in a Paradise 

 Whydah I had this year, which I kept in a small aviary, found 

 that the change from winter to summer plumage was brought 

 about by a complete moult. I caught up the bird several times 

 to make sure of the growth of new feathers, and found many new 

 feathers coming through each time. It was a newly-impotted 

 bird when I bought it in June, out of colour, and it had the 

 flight, larger wing coverts, and tail very badly frayed and worn (as 

 most newly-imported birds have). But now all the wings and 

 tail feathers are perfect in shape and form, and of an intense black, 

 which is a further proof that they are new feathers. 



[While with many species of Weavers and Whydahs, the seasonal 

 change of plumage is brought about as indicated in the above notes, there 

 are other species in which it is only partially so, and again others in which 

 the change is due almost entirely to a growth of colour in the plumage and 

 not to the production of new feathers. This colour growth is more 

 common than I think is generally supposed, in many cases, nestlings come 

 into partially mature plumage without the shedding of a feather, I may cite 

 one case the hybrid Mannikins reared in my aviary the past two seasons. 

 Many others could be cited, but the matter merits more extended observa- 

 tion generally. Will our members make such, and publish their data in 

 ■this journal ? — Ed.] 



JLi)c IReD-beaDet) jfmeb. 



{A ma di?i a et) <th roceph a I a). 

 By R. Suggitt. 



It is rather surprising that more successes in the breeding 

 of the Red-headed Finch have not been recorded, as the species 

 has been quite plentiful during the last two or three years. 



It appears to be the general experience that this bird is 



