41 [Vol. xxix. 



Mr. Ogilvie-Grant also pointed out that the Partridge 

 from the Pyrenees which had been distinguished by Dr. Louis 

 Bureau as Perdix charrela^ Seoane [c/. Proc. Fourth Intern. 

 Orn. Congress^ pp. 494-512 (1905)], was probably founded 

 on female specimens still in their spotted breeding-plumage, 

 and that there was probably no reason for believing that the 

 Pyrenean birds represented a distinct race or subspecies. 

 The same author in his recent paper ' L'Age des Perdix/ 

 brought forward, apparently as a new fact, the mode of 

 distinguishing young Partridges in their first year from 

 old birds by the shape of the first primary-quill. This point 

 was, however, published many years ago. 



" Immature examples of both sexes exhibit the characteristics 

 of the adults, but may be recognised by having the first 

 primary flight-feather pointed at the extremity, instead 

 of being rounded, and the feet yellowish horn-colour.'^ 

 [Cf. Ogilvie-Grant Game-Birds, i. p! 144 (1895).] 



Mr. Ogilvie-Grant further exhibited a series of skins of the 

 Common Ptarmigan (La^opws mutus), and made the following 

 remarks: — "The supposed alteration of colour in the plumage 

 of birds, without a moult, is a question which has frequently 

 been discussed at this Club, and with a view to obtaining 

 further information on this point, it occurred to me that the 

 middle pair of tail-feathers in the Ptarmigan would afford 

 some definite evidence for, or against, the theory. 



'^ In Ptarmigan changing from autumn to winter it is easy 

 to find individual contour-feathers (sometimes many) which 

 show a curious intergradation of grey autumn- and white 

 winter-plumage, and which look as though they might be 

 gradually turning white without a moult. We know that 

 the middle pair of tail-feathers in the Ptarmigan often 

 display a similar mixture of colour to the contour-feathers, 

 but in their case we have two definite feathers to deal with, 

 which we know, in the case of the male at least, are normally 

 cast once a year only, at the autumn-moult. 



" As is well known, the Ptarmigan's tail is composed of 

 sixteen feathers, the seven outer pairs being always black. 



