2 Cole, Plumage Changes of the Nankeen Night-Heron. [,^t''"'j"^. 



The first signs of moulting take place at the base of the upper 

 mandible, the brown-striped nestling feathers being replaced by 

 black ones with black quills, as in the adult plumage. The 

 moult gradually works back towards the nape and down the neck. 

 The moulting of the body, wingb, &c., is gradual and uniform 

 all over. The moulting period was approximately four months 

 with the specimens under observation. 



Towards the latter stages of the first moult the bare patch about 

 the eyes gradually underwent a change of colour, the pale 

 sulphur-yellow tint in the green becoming a bluish tint. This 

 same colour-change also took place in the legs. The bill also 

 gradually changes within this period. 



The greater change in plumage colour takes place during the 

 first moult. The second moult brings the adult colours more 

 pronounced, but not so deep and rich as in the fully matured 

 bird. 



(A.) Immature Plumage before the First Moult. 



At a glance the whole of the plumage appears brown, each 

 feather being tipped or striped with pale buff, white, or cinnamon, 

 giving the bird a mottled appearance. The centre of each feather 

 of the forehead, crown, hinder crown, and nape is striped a dull 

 golden brown, quills same colour, the outer webbing dark brown ; 

 ear coverts and cheeks pale buff splashed with dark brown ; chin 

 and throat white, lower throat white slightly mottled with brown ; 

 hind neck and chest pale buff, quills paler, outer webbing light 

 brown ; breast white, edged with brown ; abdomen much paler ; 

 thighs pale buff, edged with brown ; back pale buff, edged with 

 dark brown, many feathers much darker ; mantle pale buff, edged 

 with dark brown ; humeral feathers pale reddish-chestnut, splashed 

 with dark brown ; lesser, medium and greater wing coverts dark 

 brown splashed with pale reddish-chestnut, mottled with pale 

 ])uff, a few feathers mottled wath white ; primaries and secondaries 

 — quills reddish-brown, inner webbing rich chestnut-red, outer 

 dark brown, each feather tipped with white splashed with pale 

 brown ; tail — quills reddish-brown, webbing pale chestnut-red, 

 feathers tipped pale buff ; .upper tail coverts much paler ; under 

 tail coverts white, faintly splashed with brown ; rump whitish, 

 splashed with brown ; bare patch in front of eyes pale green 

 tinted with sulphur-yellow ; irides straw-yellow ; bill— upper 

 mandible, centre dark brown, edges pale buff, lower mandible 

 grey splashed with dark brown towards the tip ; legs pale green 

 tinted with sulphur-yellow ; feet brown ; toe-nails reddish-brown, 

 tipped dark brown. 



(b.) Immature Plumage after the First Moult. 



iMnehead, crown, and hinder crown l)lack, quills black ; nape 



black, with a distinct brown tint, five feathers are brownish-black, 



having a distinct golden-brown streak down the centre, quills 



golden-brown, appearing at a glance as if the nuchal plumes were 



