VOL. IX.] MOULTS OF BRITISH PASSERES. 175 



The moults and sequence of plumages in the Scottish 

 Crossbill {L. c. scotica), Parrot-Crossbill {L. pytyopsiUacus) 

 and Two-barred Crossbill (L. /. bifasciata) appear to, be the 

 same as in the Common Crossbill. It may be remarked 

 that in the Two-barred Crossbill the white tips to the inner 

 secondaries and greater and niedian coverts are present 

 in all plumages ; in the adult male these tips are tinged 

 with pink and in the female with yellow, in the juvenile and 

 first winter and summer male and female they are smaller 

 and tinged with yellow. 



Chaffinch {Fringilla c. coelebs). 



Adults. — Complete moult commencing in July and 

 sometimes in June. No regular moult in spring, but at that 

 season feathers here and there on the body are often renewed. 

 Abrasion has a considerable effect, especially in the male, 

 the colours becoming purer and brighter owing to the wearing 

 off of their buflfish tips. The sexual difference is too well 

 known to require mention. The under-parts of the male 

 vary from a pearly-pink to a brownish-pink, but this is merely 

 individual and not connected with age so far as I can discover. 



Juvenile. — Much like the adult female but browner on 

 the upper-parts. The male has the mantle more chestnut- 

 brown and the ear-coverts more buffish than the female and, 

 as in the adults, the white on the wings of the male is purer. 



First winter. — The juvenile plumage is moulted from 

 July to September except the wing-feathers, primary-coverts 

 and tail-feathers. The birds then become like the adults. 



Brambling {Fringilla montifringilla). 



Adults. — Complete moult in August-September. No 

 moult in spring, but abrasion 23roduces a remarkable change 

 in the upper-parts of the male and to a lesser extent in the 

 female. The chief difference is in the crown and mantle of 

 the male, the glossy blue-black of which is mostly concealed 

 in fresh plumage by the long buff tips of the feathers. The 

 effect of the wearing off of these tips usually begins to show 

 in February or March, and by June or July there is scarcely 

 a buff tip left, but individuals vary in the amount of wear. 

 The female is much duller than the male, and its crown and 

 mantle are dull brownish black not glossy blue-black. 



Juvenile. — Closely resembling adult female, but the white 

 of the rump and belly tinged with yellow. Sexes alike. 



First winter. — ^The juvenile plumage is moulted in the 

 first autumn, except the primary-coverts and wing- and 

 tail-feathers. The birds then become like the adults. 



