R. H. Thomas 281 



2. Moult habit. 



The moult in pheasant crosses is an interesting character to observe. 

 In two species crossed probably both the order and the season of the 

 moult will differ. They did so in this series. The Silver moult early 

 and the central rectrices grow in some time before the laterals. The 

 Swinhoe moult late and the lateral rectrices grow in completely long 

 before the centrals appear. Throughout this series all the hybrids 

 exhibited the mosaic or hybrid moult on body and wings peculiar to 

 every hybrid pheasant I have reared, quills of young feathers interrupt- 

 ing the plumage and loose feathers being noticed in the birds long after 

 the season is past and the moult completed in the two parent species ; 

 the condition might be attributed to different plumage areas on the 

 same bird inheriting the late or the early moult character or both, for 

 new feathers are often shed two or three weeks after arriving at their 

 full size. 



Observations made this year, 1913, on the moult of Gennaeus 

 nycthemerus (Silver) cT and Gennaeus swinhoei (Swinhoe) $ confirm 

 previous records of the period and order of the moult in the two species; 

 the Silver early, the Swinhoe late, the Silver moult centrals before 

 laterals, the Swinhoe laterals before centrals. The Silver </ centrals 

 on July 31st measured two inches longer than any of the laterals, the 

 Swinhoe $ centrals measured two inches shorter than any of the 

 laterals, and were still hidden under the coverts. In the Swinhoe ^ 

 the centrals do not grow out till long after the laterals are fully grown. 



J^4 inter se (F^ x F.^) Silver x Swinhoe c/ " E" has the late Swinhoe 

 moult and also the Swinhoe tail moult, for all the laterals were shed 

 by the 21st July, and the centrals were shed on the 2nd August ; these 

 two moult habit factors must have been transmitted by the Swinhoe 

 male parent through F^ and F2 males to the Fs parents. F^^ inter se 

 Silver x Swinhoe J " G" also shed her laterals first and her centrals 

 two days later than F^ ^ " E." The dominance of the Swinhoe moult 

 is also seen in F^ inter se of another series, not connected with this 

 paper. 



The phenomena of pattern- transference from one area to another 

 or from one sex to another, so often seen in pheasant hybrids, occurred 

 in several individuals of this series, and have been carefully recorded 

 that these should not confuse the issue by a false suggestion of 

 hybridism. 



