The Water Fowl. 17 



the male of this, has two moults a year, 

 as before remarked. The True Ducks, 

 the Diving Ducks, the Golden-eyes and 

 the Mergansers differ from all the above 

 mentioned in respect to the way the moult 

 is accomplished. The females have only 

 the one autumn moult, but the males 

 pass through a lengthened operation last- 

 ing probably four months. As soon as 

 the female has commenced incubation, 

 the drakes retire and flock together in the 

 quietest spots they can find. They there 

 commence a moult of the feathers of the 

 head, neck, and body, and emerge from 

 this operation in a plumage which very 

 closely resembles that of the female. 

 As soon as this has been accomplished, 

 the drakes moult their quills. They 

 then cast the plumage of the head, 

 neck, and body again, and resume their 

 ordinary brilliant male plumage. Drakes 

 in the plumage of the female, or in 

 post-nuptial plumage as I have termed it 

 in the following pages, are very seldom 

 seen or shot, and consequently specimens 

 are very rare in museums. There is 

 much doubt, even at the present time, 

 regarding the post-nuptial plumage of the 

 drakes of some of the commoner Euro- 

 pean species. 



VOL II. 2 



