on the Pied Rock- Thrush.



281



as a female ; and, on the other hand, a female may display as

much chestnut as a male. The Museum Catalogue at page 315

tells 11s—“ After the autumn moult the male has the feathers of

the upper parts with chestnut tips and dark-brown subterminal

bars, which almost conceal the white on the back” ; and—“ the

female also has conspicuous pale tips to the feathers of the

back.”


In November, 1898, Mr. St. Ouintin wrote to me—‘‘The

breeding colours are assumed by a change of the feathers of the

body, which goes on through the winter—the flight feathers of

the wings and those of the tail being retained.” I think it is the

bird of the year only that shows so much colour duringt he

autumn and early winter, and that the fully adult male does not

begin to moult into colour until the beginning of January, or

sometimes later. I make the statement with hesitation, as I have

neglected to watch this point. With me, the adult male has

usually been coming into colour during January and February,

often not finishing the process until March.


Referring to the interesting point as to the mode in which

the breeding colours are obtained, it is stated in the Museum

Catalogue (V., 2), as regards the Turdin^ generally as distin¬

guished from the Syrviin^R—“ Instead of two moults in the year,

there is only one, in autumn, the spring plumage being obtained

by abrasion, or by casting the points of the feathers.” This

statement is not contravened or added to, nor in any way adapted

to the particular species under consideration at pages 314-5, where

the several plumages of the Pied Rock-Thrusli are described.

The more closely I watch these birds, the more I apprehend how

much abrasion has to do with the matter. Probably I do not

exaggerate when I say that from autumn until the succeeding

mid-summer, irrespective of the winter moult, owing to abrasion

or point-casting or both combined, the plumage of the male is

ceaselessly changing. To instance only a few phases:—From

about mid-August to mid-February or March, the white back-

patch is continuously increasing in size and purity of colour,

whereas all the numerous edgings and glints of white in other

parts, which at times add almost a silvery gleam to the plumage,

disappear before the winter moult sets in. And the beautiful



