13G BRITISH BIRDS. [vol xv. 



first nuptial plumage, including the flight-feathers, is moulted 

 and replaced by a quite distinct post-nuptial plumage, 

 which, lasting only for a short time, is in its turn — in some 

 as early as October — replaced by the second nuptial plumage, 

 the flight-feathers and innermost (uniform grey) secondaries 

 alone being retained until the next spring when the latter are 

 replaced by new ones with a buff pattern. In northern birds 

 this moult, as in young birds, takes place somewhat later. 



Male. — Down. First juvenile plumage. From this the 

 young male very soon commences to moult into his first 

 nuptial plumage but the first signs of the moult are almost 

 invariably chocolate-brown feathers which appear on the 

 head, most frequently on the cheeks and chin, feathers 

 which are undoubtedly traces of a lost second juvenile 

 plumage. Other feathers of this lost plumage may be seen 

 elsewhere on the body as, for instance, on the flanks, some 

 feathers of which are more coarsely vermiculated than those 

 of the coming nuptial plumage. In June the moult into 

 first post-nuptial (eclipse) plumage takes place and early 

 in September — in northern birds later — the second nuptial 

 plumage commences to appear. 



(Number of specimens examined : Coll. E.L.S., 746 (and 

 200 from Greenland). Univ. Zool. Mus., Copenhagen, no.) 



The Wigeon {Anas penelope). 



Female. — Down. First juvenile plumage, retained in 

 most specimens until December or even later, when a moult 

 into a second juvenile plumage takes place. In this second 

 juvenile plumage feathers of the first juvenile plumage 

 {e.g., tail-feathers) are not unfrequently retained, and just 

 before breeding time a new moult commences into what 

 may be called the first nuptial plumage, though not all 

 females breed in their first year. This is a mixture of the 

 grey -backed second juvenile, and (to a greater or lesser 

 extent) of a darker nuptial plumage and in some cases even 

 of some feathers of the first juvenile plumage ; the inner- 

 most secondaries are apparently always replaced by new 

 ones with a pattern. From this first nuptial plumage the 

 one-year-old female — having bred or not — goes into first 

 post-nuptial, eclipse or reversion plumage. This, as a rule, 

 seems to be more like the first than the second juvenile 

 plumage. In autumn it is replaced by the second nuptial 

 plumage, which is somewhat variable, a brown and a greyish 

 more or less barred type seeming to be predominant. After 

 this the two annual moults take Dlace. 



