( 280 ) 



THE MOULTS OF THF. Bliri'ISII PASSERKS, 



WITH NOTES ON THE SEQT^ENCE OF THEIR 



PLUMAGES. 



BY 



H. F. WITHER BY. 



Part VII. 



{Continued from page L34). 



Genus Muscicapa. 



The moults and sequence of plumages of the Flycatchers 

 on the British list are very interesting in that they differ in 

 the different species. As I have been unable, for want of 

 material, to trace the moults of the Collared Flycatcher, the 

 following summary refers only to the four remaining species. 



The adults in late summer or early autumn have a complete 

 moult in the Pied and Red-breasted Flycatchers, but only 

 moult the body -feathers in the Spotted and Brown. The 

 two latter, however, have a complete moult in winter or 

 spring, while the Pied and Red-breasted have only a partial 

 moult at this season. In the Pied this moult includes all the 

 body-feathers and some of the inner secondaries and wing- 

 coverts, while in the Red-breasted not even all the body- 

 feathers moult and none of the secondaries or wing-coverts. 



The moult from the juvenile to the first winter differs in 

 detail in each species. Though all moult the body -feathers, 

 the extent of the moult in the wing-coverts and secondaries 

 varies. The first spring moult is like that of the adult except 

 in the Brown Flycatcher which instead of having at this 

 time a complete moult as the adult renews only its body- 

 feathers and some wing-coverts as in its first autumn moult. 



With regard to the sequence of plumages the juveniles 

 in all the species may be generally described as being spotted 

 on the upper-parts. In the Spotted and Brown Flycatchers 

 the sexes are alike in the adult both in summer and in winter 

 and the first -winter birds can be distinguished by the pale 

 tips to some of the wing-coverts, though this difference dis- 

 appears in the summer in the case of the Spotted Flycatcher 

 which has a complete moult in spring. In the Pied Fly- 

 catcher the adults, male and female, are very much alike in 

 winter though so different in summer. The first winter birds 

 can be distinguished from the adults by the pale tips to 

 some of the wing-coverts, and in the male by other small 

 differences. In the first sunaner the female is practically 



