VOL. IX. I MOULTS IN BRITISH DUCKS. 41 



brown, tipped light buff ; in the Garganey the ordinary down 

 is ashy-brown, the " nest " down blackish-brown, tipped light 

 buff ; in the Wigeon and the i\.merican Wigeon, the ordinary 

 down is ashy-brown, the " nest " down blackish-brown tipped 

 white ; in the Shoveler the ordinary down is ashy-brown, 

 the " nest " down blackish-brown with faint white tips ; in the 

 Pintail the ordinary down is ashy-brown, the ■■ nest" down 

 black. Apparently this " nest " down is used to line the nest 

 with, and in late summer females which have bred, very little, 

 if any, remains. 



Nestling. — It is interesting to note that nestlings of the 

 different species have the same general colour pattern, though 

 in some of the species the colours comprising the pattern 

 are slightly different. 



Juvenile. — The juvenile plumage more or less resembles 

 that of the adult female, but is alwaj's distinguishable and 

 in most cases the sexes are slightly different. 



First winter. Male. — Resembles the adult male, and in 

 Mallard, Teal, and Garganey is hardly distinguishable from 

 it ; in Gad wall, Pintail and Wigeon, the first winter 

 male is distinguished by the different colour pattern of 

 the wing-coverts. This plumage is acquired by a complete 

 body- and tail-moult, some innermost secondaries and 

 usually their coverts but not the rest of the wings (exception- 

 ally some of the median coverts are moulted in some specimens 

 of Wigeon and American Wigeon examined). 



The period of moult from juvenile to first winter plumage 

 varies in the different species, as well as individually, some 

 juvenile birds of the same species attaining the first winter 

 plumage before Januarj^ while in others the moult is slow 

 and irregular and the phimage may not be completed till 

 April or later, while in some cases the moult is never com- 

 pleted, and some juvenile body-feathers (frequently those 

 of the back and rump) are retained all through the summer. 



First ivinter. Female. — Resembles the adult female. In 

 the first winter Mallard the back and rump are less glossy ; 

 first winter Teal are very similar to adult ; while first winter 

 Gadwall, Garganey, and Shoveler are distinguished by the 

 wing-coverts. Moult as in the male. 



First summer. Male. — No general moult but a few 

 body-feathers may be renewed. (For possible exceptions to 

 this statement see pages 37 and 38.) Plumage as winter. 



First summer. Female. — Moult apparently as in adult 

 female, and new plumage as adult female. 



