1084 The Zoologist — February, 1868. 



less in the new or old plumage, and not to be confounded with any 

 other age. 



No. 13. Third Winter Plumage (from a bird shot in October). 

 Celestial Surface. — Not very dissimilar from the adult. The markings 

 of black on the head and neck are, however, more crowded and 

 blotchy, extending further down the neck and the shoulders. The 

 bastard wing, the margin and also some of the primary coverts are 

 occasionally, but rarely, marked with dark, these parts in general being 

 as the adult. The primary quills differ from the adult. The bill is 

 grayish or yellowish green at the base, crossed at the region of the 

 angle by a bar or cloud of black, the tip region being yellow. The 

 feet are grayish green, not uncommonly tinged with stone- colour. 

 Orbits mahogany ; irides brown. Mouth orange-red. 



Type of the Primary Quills. — Though the difference between the 

 primary quills of this age and lhat of two years old is very plain, still 

 there is such a strong resemblance that it will be only necessary for 

 me to point out the distinctions without entering on a separate 

 description. In all the quills we have the tip represented by a 

 genuine and naturally white spot. In 1, 2 we have the same white 

 spots as in the second year, that in 1 being much more developed, and 

 rarely fringed on either web with black. The whole cloud in 4, 5, 6 

 is much better developed, and almost separates the gray from the black 

 of the feather; at all events in the greater web. The gray, which 

 increases consecutively in each feather, is considerably more usurping 

 of the black, purer, less sullied and clouded by dark markings; 7 is 

 also marked at the end with more or less black. 



No. 14, Link 7. Third Spring Change. — The feathers of the head 

 and neck lose the dark markings, turn white partly by moult, partly 

 by transmutation. The sides of the breast begin to discard any dark 

 markings they may have had. The bill, orbits, irides and feet are 

 changing to a more mature colour. 



No. 15. Fourth Summer Plumage (June). — The head and neck 

 have become, like the adult in summer, pure white. The under 

 surface also has become pure white, in this respect unlike the adult. 

 The bill is generally dull yellowish at the base, canary-yellow at the 

 lip, the dark bar at, the angle represented either by a dark or a stone- 

 coloured cloud. Irides a paler brown. Orbits orange-red. Feet dull 

 yellowish green, tinged with stone-colour. 



No. 16, Link 8. Fourth Summer and Autumn Moult. — Begins in 

 July ; is completed iu October. There is little remarkable, except 



