THE MOULTING OF BIRDS. 375 



birds become much more skulking in their habits, never 

 sing, rarely even utter their call notes, shun open 

 places, and keep out of sight as much as possible. The 

 hush that falls over the woods and fields in the late 

 summer is a sure sign that the birds are beginning to 

 moult. It is a tedious, difficult operation, and many 

 birds perish under the ordeal. Many swimming birds 

 quit their haunts upon the land at this period, and 

 retire to the open water to undergo their change of 

 dress in comparative safety, especially those species 

 which moult their flight feathers rapidly. There are 

 few more interesting branches of ornithological research 

 than that which treats of the phases, stages, and changes 

 in the plumage of birds, consequent upon age, sex, and 

 season, and I can confidently commend this fascinating 

 subject, here only treated in the briefest manner, to 

 every lover of birds and to every would-be investigator 

 of their characteristics and economy. 



