36 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. ix. 



especially about the head, breast, and scapulars, and. 

 the spots, which in the Minter were hidden under the 

 feathers .... work down to the surface." In dealing 

 with the remaining species no reference at all is made to 

 moult, though attention is called to changes by abrasion ; 

 e.g., in referring to the spring plumage of the adult 

 female Teal, p. 88, he says : " during the A\inter the breast 

 is white, concealing the spots Mliich Mork doA\n and 

 appear in the spring." In some cases while a change 

 in the plumage is noted, no explanation is given of 

 how tliis change is brought about, and the reader is 

 lelt in doubt whether it is to be attributed or not to 

 '' colour change " as is more or less imphed by the 

 author. For example, of the female Gadwall. p. 37, 

 he says : "In the summer the whole plumage becomes 

 very much darker ; the black-broA\ n upper-parts of the 

 back and scapular feathers work more to the surface, 

 and their hght edges are duller and narrower. The 

 breast, too, for the greater part, becomes heavily spotted, 

 particularly so towards the vent." More instances 

 might be quoted, but these, I think, are sufficient to 

 show that the probabihty of a spring-moult had not 

 been considered by the author. 



What makes this spring-moult all the more interesting 

 is the fact that with one or U\o apparent exceptions 

 named overleaf it does not take place in the male ; a 

 few body-feathers may be grown in here and there, but 

 there ap])ears to be no general moult. Of course, there 

 is a possibility, but I think a remote one, that specimens 

 showing moult have not found their way into the 

 collections mentioned ; but I think this is most unlikely, 

 as of the connnon species such as Milliard, Teal, and 

 Wigeon. a large series of spring specimens Mas 

 examined. Moreover, I have also examined specimens 

 in the flesh, and in some cases have had both sexes 

 sent to me obtained on the same date, the male with 

 no trace of moult whatever, the female moulting 

 heavily. 



