42 Meetings of Section. I. 



advocated. The natal plumage consists of the downy or 

 filamentous neossoptiles, sometimes aborted, the juvenal of 

 mesoptiles, the second generation of feathers, and the adult 

 of teleoptiles, the later generations of mature feathers. 

 Between the successive plumages occur moults, complete or 

 partial, resulting in simple plumages wholly of one genera- 

 tion, or those compounded of several. The plumages of 

 the first year are the most complicated, later ones being 

 divisible only into nuptial or summer, and non-nuptial or 

 winter, except in the case of some Ducks and Grouse, that 

 have also a specially protective or eclipse dress. The con- 

 sistent use of the terms suggested would eliminate much of 

 the confusion arising from the many inexact expressions 

 now current. 



The Hon. Walter Rothschili» asked the author if he could 

 explain the moidts in the G amie t (Sula bassana) and in the 

 Paradise Birds, but Dr. Dwight stated that he had not been 

 able to examine sufficient material to offer an opinion on the 

 moults and changes in these birds. 



Mr. Meade-Waldo, referring to Dr. Dwight's remark 

 that the young of the Snowy Owl had two downs, a white 

 followed by a brown, stated that nestlings of the species of 

 the genera Bubo, Syrnium, Athene, Speotyto, and, in fact, all 

 Owls except Scops and Strix,h.a,d two downs, a white followed 

 by a brown. Much of the down developed till it 



became almost a feather, and was gradually changed for 

 true feathers as the young bird grew up, some of it being 

 retained until the bird was practically full-grown and inde- 

 pendent. Scops, on the contrary, had only one crop of white 

 down, which was changed precisely as in the Falcons and 

 Hawks, the young bird growing up and getting its plumage 

 rapidly, as in these birds. The down in the young of Strix 

 was similar to that of Scops, but the yomig birds took much 

 longer to de velo p. In all owls the first down was white. 



Referring to Dr. Dwight's remarks on seasonal changes, 

 Mr. Meade-Waldo said that the Pin-tailed Sand-Grouse 

 {Pteroclurus alchatus) changed its plumage like the Ptarmigan. 

 The nestling-plumage was changed for a winter-plumage, 

 which was in turn changed for an elaborate breeding- 

 plumage ; this latter, in the case of the male, was subsequently 



