THE CHANGES OF PLUMAGE IN RED GROUSE 77 



that the dominating plumage of the male is the winter plumage, 

 while that of the female is the summer or breeding plumage. 



In the autumn, especially from September and October 

 onwards, there is the additional difficulty of distinguishing old 

 birds and young. 



To quote Mr Ogilvie-Grant, " Young birds in July resemble Distinction 

 the adult female in breeding plumage in their general colour, 

 but the flank feathers of the adult plumage begin to appear ? 

 about this time. By the month of November the young are 

 generally not to be distinguished from the adults." 



There is one sign of age in the majority of birds in the shoot- Groove 

 ing season, if it has not become obliterated namely, the mark 

 across the claws of recent shedding. Very often one may find 

 the nails or claws still adhering to the toes, though ready to 

 drop off, so that a gentle application of force removes them 

 like small caps, leaving the new shorter claws beneath, each 

 marked by a groove where the old claw was attached. This 

 groove persists often for some little time, and is an infallible 

 sign that the bird is over a year old at least. Young birds of 

 the year do not shed their claws, and therefore never have 

 this groove. 



There is another method of determining a bird's age which Wing 

 is often used as a rough indication upon the moor, namely, 

 to pull out the third primary feather of the wing at its distal 

 end. If blood can be squeezed from the quill it is considered 

 as a sign that the bird is of the year. If no blood can be squeezed, 

 and the feather is old and dry, it is considered as a sign that the 

 bird is more than a year old. 



This sign of blood in the quill of the third primary is not, 

 however, an infallible sign of youth, for it is evident that as 

 soon as the feather finishes its growth the quill becomes as hard 

 and dry and bloodless as all the others. The only indication 

 will then be a slight difference in the shape and contour of the 

 two last feathers as indicated above. 



Moreover, in September it is easy to find birds obviously 

 adult with claws attached but on the point of being shed, and 



