00. l'AVONCELLA. 



505 



N. Ruff white, with narrow bars of black, somewhat vermiculated 

 and broken up into spots ; head and occipital tufts purplish 

 black ; breast-feathers black. 

 0. Ruff black, with white bars, generally narrower than the 

 black ones ; head and occipital tufts of the same colour and 

 markings; breast-feathers black, with white centres. 

 The head is sometimes brown, vermiculated with sandy buff and 

 strongly washed with purplish black. The coarseness of the 

 bars on the ruff also varies considerably, and where the black 

 predominates, tho crown and occipital tufts are also purplish 

 black. 

 P. Ruff purplish black, streaked with white, with which the 

 feathers are edged ; the crown and occipital tufts black, with 

 brown vermiculations and a gloss of purplish black. 

 The first sign of chaugo from the winter to the summer plumages 

 is a decided darkening of tho centres to the feathers of the upper 

 surface, and in January the colour of the quills and tail-feathers 

 begins to alter, the inner secondaries becoming rufous with bars or 

 spots of purplish black on the outer web, while tho tail-feathers 

 also show a sub-terminal spot of black. As the rufous tint gains 

 ground on tho upper surface, tho purplish-black feathers on the back 

 begin to put in an appearance. Of these changes by a full moult 

 I am not by any means convinced, for, although a spring moult un- 

 doubtedly takes place, I am of opinion that quite as much change is 

 accomplished by an alteration in tbe pattern of the feather, no two 

 feathers showing exactly the same pattern. The coloured plumage 

 on the ruff is also developed gradually, and the tufts on the sides 

 of the occiput are tho last ornament to be assumed. 



The colour of the back as it passes into the full plumage varies 

 greatly, according to the nature of the adult colouring. Thus 

 rufous-backed birds have always more rufous on the feathers during 

 the process of spring change, while black-backed birds early show r 

 a black coloration during the change. 



Two specimens obtained by Mr. Chill in the Delhi district on 

 June 29th have almost dropped their summer plumage, and have 

 half-moulted into their winter dress. Specimens from India and 

 Africa tend to prove that, although much of the ornamental plumage 

 is shed towards the end of the breeding-season, the complete change 

 to the winter plumage takes place in the winter haunts of the bird, 

 but the ornamental dress is put on during the return journey in 

 spring, and even aftor it has arrived in its northern quarters. The 

 Delhi specimens above referred to must havo returned to their 

 winter home at a very early date. 



Youwj male. Resembles the winter plumage of the adults, but is 

 much more tawny, the feathers of the upper surface being blackish, 

 with sandy-buff or whitish margins to the feathers : the lower back, 

 rump, and upper tail-coverts dusky brown, mottled with darker 

 brown centres to tho feathers, and with sandy-buff ed^es ; the 

 lateral upper tail-coverts white : wing-coverts like the back ; the 

 primary-coverts with narrow sandy-buff edges and whitish tips; 



