]()1() - DR. K. A. \VII,S(-)\ OX THK [Juni-14. 



Tlie ac'C()ni[)anying figures of a few worn-out and moulting feathers 

 taken from a hen in sumraer-plumnge, show how distinctly 

 better tlie black pigmented parts of the feather stand wear and 

 tear than the yellow ])arts (PI. XCI.). Certain pigments have a 

 A-alue, therefore, of a very practical nature apart altogether from 

 the more jesthetic point of view of attractiveness or the often 

 i-ather hypothetical view of assimilation to surroundings for 

 j)urpo.ses of safety or to asssist in olitaining food. He would be 

 unwise, however, who dt-nied that all three views may be 

 reasonably held to account foi- the very beautiful nesting- 

 plumage of the hen (1 rouse. 



It very occasionally happens that the hen Grouse, instead of 

 retaining the redder plumage of the previous autumn's growth 

 on the abdomen until it drops ofi" during incubation, grows an 

 almost iuuver.sal spring-plumage of buff and black bi-oad-barred 

 feathers covering the lower breast and abdomen as well as the 

 remainder of the body from head to tail. A skin showing this 

 condition is preserved in the National Collection, and thei'e is an 

 almost equallv ])erfect specimen in the Grouse Disease Tnquirv's 

 Collection. No. 919. 



The more usual procedin-e is that the abdominal patch of 

 autunuial plumage is lost during incubation and is then quickly 

 replaceil by a renewal of the autumnal feathers when the spring- 

 plumage is also being slied. There i-emains, howeA'er, in the 

 majority of binls a very quaint growth of belated spring-plumage, 

 consisting of bufl'aud black-barred feathers in two lines down 

 each side of the centre of the naked patch, as though, for 

 some occult reason, the intention to grow " spring-})! un:age " 

 feathers upon this area had never been altogether lost. This 

 pecidiar persistence of belated intention shows itself as a patch 

 of yellow feathers made up of the two linear areas of feather- 

 growth in the mitlst of a. much broader area of the autumn 

 red-piirmented feathers which one would expect to find all over 

 the abdomen (PI. LXXXIX.). 



It is conceivable that a small persistent remnant such as this, 

 having no obvious connection with the surrounding plumage at 

 the time or with the habits of the bird, or with the sea.sons, n\ay 

 yet have something to do with the thiid or lost " Eclipse "' plumage 

 which is still to be found in the grey plumage of the Ptarmigan, 

 but is almost completely lost in the case of the Red Grouse. 



In ./»/// the summer-plumage of healthy hens i.s much worn out, 

 frayed at the edges and very definitely faded, and the feathers 

 are already dropping out. On the chin, thioat, and fore-neck 

 new red feathers of the autumn-plumage looking rich and dark 

 are alroadv making their appearance. The back is as it was, but 

 faded, and the flanks are still conspicuously broad-barred with 

 huff and black ; but the abdominal hare patch is now gixnving 

 new autumn-i)lumage fi-athers with great rapidity from the 

 centre outwards. 



The primaries and secondarii- li;i\ >■ nnw cimimenced to nionU, 



