228 INIr. J. H. Giirney, Jun.—Male Plumage 



1887, and has now (Jan. 18tli, 1888) almost lost it. There 

 is little doubt that female wild Pheasants^ and those brought 

 up by hand which have become wild^ frequently approximate 

 to the male phimage, and revert to their normal female 

 plumage^ without anyone observing it. Of course there 

 is no ground for flunking that such birds as these would 

 not then breeds if the transformation had not taken place at 

 too great an age. The rule seems to be that Gallinaceous 

 female birds generally become barren when they assume and 

 while they wear male plumage, but that Passerine birds 

 generally do not, as will appear hereafter. 



Ducks — in most cases domesticated Wild Ducks — have 

 been several times known to assume, or nearly assume, the 

 plumage of the drake, generally when very old, and it has been 

 assumed that they Avere not fertile ; but we have no tangible 

 evidence to prove that such was the case. A female Merganser 

 {Mergus serrator) assuming male plumage, examined by my 

 father (Zoal. 1854, p. 4252), showed no signs of disease in the 

 ovary, and there is no reason for assuming that she had not 

 bred, or that she would not do so. On the other hand, Mr. 

 Cecil Smith has a female Wigeon {Mareca jyenelope) on his 

 ponds near Taunton, Avhich assumed the male plumage some 

 years ago, and which, so far as he knows, has not had young 

 nor laid eggs. 



On May 16th, 1887, a Chaffinch {FringUla ccelebs) in full 

 male plumage was shot at Chapel Town, near Leeds, in York- 

 shire, by the son of Mr. W. L. Jackson, M.P. ; it was 

 skiuned by G. R. Grassham, assistant to Mr. W. E. Clarke 

 at the Museum, who, much to his surprise, found that it was 

 a female, and contained an egg, ready for laying, of a pale 

 blue, without markings, and another egg in a less forward 

 state. This Chaffinch is in every way in perfect male 

 plumage, and I am indebted to Mr. Clarke for his kindness 

 in sending these particulars with the specimen, which he 

 received from Grassham a few hours after the latter had dis- 

 sected the bird. 



In the ' Norwich Nat. Trans. ^ an enumeration was given of 

 female Redstarts {Ruticillaphcenicurus) assuming male plumage 



