Sequence in Moults and Plumages. 517 



not lost at the post-juvenal moult, but are worn throughout 

 the year. Cycle H differs from B only in the second 

 year. In the remaining cycles the plumages, already 

 compound (except in C), are further complicated by the 

 pre-nuptial moult, which produces in each case a distinct 

 nuptial plumage (ptilosis nuptialis) . A complete pre-nuptial 

 moult produces a simple plumage, as in F and G ; while a 

 partial moult in C, D and E compounds the nuptial dress. 

 As for C, there is room for doubt, for there are some species 

 with a complete post-juvenal moult that seem to have a pre- 

 nuptial moult only the first year; but it is very possible these 

 birds will prove to belong rather to cycles D or E, to which 

 a large, number of species belong. Under I, falls the highly 

 specialized plumages of the Ptarmigan, which are, after all, 

 only a modification of D. These, then, are the plumages of 

 the first year, and owing to the complete post-nuptial moult, 

 those of the second are simpler. We have a simple second 

 annual plumage, or this is split by a pre-nuptial moult into 

 a simple non-nuptial, or a nuptial which is simple or com- 

 pound according as the moult is complete or only partial. 

 The exceptional plumage-cycles are E, where, like some of 

 the Orioles, a first pre-nuptial moult is not repeated the 

 second year, and H, exemplified by many of the Ducks, which 

 do not develop a protective or "eclipse" plumage until the 

 second year. Adult Ducks and most diving birds lose their 

 flight-feathers all at once, but the Ducks assume a protective 

 plumage prior to their winter dress, while the Guillemots, 

 without a special protective plumage, assume a winter dress 

 that is also protective, falling under the cycle D. 



In order to make clearer this somewhat involved matter of 

 cycles, I will take a couple of sjDecific cases for illustration. 

 The Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) has a very simple plumage- 

 cycle : the post-juvenal moult being complete, and adults 

 moulting but once in the twelvemonth. This sjDecies belongs 

 to cycle A, the plumages being the natal, the juvenal, and a 

 simple annual. The plumage-cycle of the Wheatear (Saxicola 

 œnanthe) is more complicated, because the post-juvenal 

 moult is partial and a partial pre-nuptial moult occurs every 

 year. This species falls under cycle D, the plumages being- 



