AUTUMN. 165 



under parts a dirty orange brown, with dark spots 

 on the ends of the feathers. These spots are 

 generally more clearly defined on the young 

 males. The young of the Robins before the 

 moult have no resemblance to our familiar red- 

 breast. The feathers of the upper part are 

 tipped with brown, the breast is of a lighter 

 tinge, the feathers being spotted with dark 

 brown. The plumage is open and fluffy, and 

 not so tight as on old birds. 



It may be said, as a general observation, that 

 when the old birds differ in colouring 

 the young birds of both sexes take after the 

 female in shade of plumage in their primary nest 

 feathers, which they retain until their first 

 autumnal moult. After moult the difference in 

 colour of plumage will indicate the sex. In 

 some species it is often difficult to distinguish 

 the male from the female, the Goldfinch being 

 a good example of this. 



Old Jackdaws may be distinguished from the 

 young by their silvery-grey hood, the young 



