1 66 Recent Literature. \_a£a\ 



Americana,' 1 83 1 , and Nuttall in his 'Manual,' 1832, describe it, but not 

 as if they considered it new. Mr. Chapman, however, goes further and 

 would explain why the dorsal feathers wear only down to the black bases- 

 He says that microscopical examination " shows that at their apical 

 portion the barbs are separated and that the barbulesdo not become fairly 

 interlocked until the black basal part is reached/' The black area is 

 therefore more protected and furthermore it is asserted that the black 

 pigment by virtue of its density adds strength to the feather. The fact 

 that the female never entirely wears away the brownish border and the 

 fact that the " interlocking" of the barbules in many cases does not corres- 

 pond with the black area, both militate against Mr. Chapman's theory 

 and suggest other factors to explain the deciduous feather tips. 



Incidentally a new and valuable point of difference between the plum- 

 ages of the two sexes is brought out. " The male has the feathers of the 

 head, nape and rump basally white, while in the female they are basally 

 black," — this difference holding at all seasons of the year. The Snow- 

 flake is one of the interesting species that undergo but one moult in the 

 year.— J. D., Jr. 



Allen on Alleged Changes of Color in the Feathers of Birds without 

 Moulting. 1 — It is small wonder that this paper should bristle with 

 exclamation points. It is a summary and criticism of the work of some 

 of the more important writers upon the subject of color changes in 

 feathers without moult, and it deals unsparingly with those who have 

 asserted as possible the complete rejuvenation of an abraded feather. 

 Beginning apparently with the Rev. John Flemming, there have been 

 many writers of greater or less repute, even down to the present day, who 

 have advanced various theories to account for color changes in plumage 

 otherwise than by moult. The most radical of them have assumed that a 

 recoloration of the individual feathers takes place and even a renewal, by 

 a new growth of barbs, of the ragged edges of worn feathers. After 

 stating that this "delusion" "forms a most instructive chapter in the 

 general history of the origin and persistence of error," Dr. Allen proceeds 

 to sketch this history and demonstrate the worthlessness of most of the 

 evidence presented in its support. He maintains that, almost without 

 exception, the hypotheses advanced are not supported by facts and that 

 if moulting specimens of birds had not been so generally discarded in 

 making collections, speculation upon supposed color changes would not 

 have run riot. In brief, " the inventors of these diverse theories have 

 assumed and attempted to explain conditions that in nine cases out of ten 

 had no existence; namely, a color change demonstrated due — normally 

 at least — to molt, which they have supposed must happen in some other 



1 Alleged Changes of Color in the Feathers of Birds without Molting. By 

 J. A. Allen. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., Vol. VIII, Art. Ill, pp. 13-44 

 (March 18, 1896). 



