THE GROUSE SUBFAMILY 26 



answers to the " eclipse" dress of the mallard. But for the fact that 

 this dress does not afford such a striking contrast with that of the 

 " eclipse " dress, this homology would leap to the eyes. This " eclipse " 

 dress answers in both cases to the " winter " plumage of birds such as 

 the ruff, knot, and dunlin. The brightly hued livery worn during the 

 rest of the year by the mallard and grouse answers, as we have 

 already remarked, to the " breeding " dress of these Limicoline birds : 

 but this fact has been lost sight of owing to the process of accelerated 

 development which it has undergone. In the black-grouse, caper- 

 caillie, and in the common partridge this gradual decline of the 

 " eclipse " or " winter " plumage has proceeded yet further, so that the 

 head and neck alone, for a short period, assume an " eclipse " 

 or "winter" plumage. In the pheasant these last relics have 

 completely disappeared, and herein we have the last link in the 

 chain of evolution from a permanent dull to an evanescent 

 resplendent type of dress, and thence to a permanent resplendent 

 livery. In some species, e.g. parrots, both sexes have participated in 

 this glorification, in others the males only, but the significance of 

 this difference cannot be discussed here. 



It would most certainly make for clearness if some term could be 

 agreed upon whereby we could distinguish between typical " nuptial " 

 plumages like that of the ruff and knot, plumages assumed only 

 during the season of courtship, and those which answer to nuptial 

 plumages which have become, or are in the way to become, permanent. 

 The latter might well be called supernuptial plumages. The mallard, 

 red-grouse, blackcock, and pheasant are types of the latter kind. 



So far nothing has been said in this connection of the plumages 

 of the female red-grouse. This must now be considered. Mr. Ogilvie- 

 Grant was the first to point out the curious fact that the moulting 

 periods of the two sexes are not synchronous. For what answers to 

 the supernuptial plumage of the male (the "winter" dress or 

 " autumn- winter " dress of Mr. Ogilvie-Grant) is worn by the female 

 from August to March, instead of November to June. In other words, 



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VOL. IV. D 



