The Importance of Aviculture. 673 



down on the body having given j>lace to the juvenile spotted 

 plumage, which at the age of five or six weeks will again 

 have given place to the plumage of maturity. 



The habits of these two species of Turnix appear to be 

 practically identical, and I have no doubt are much the same 

 in all of the Tumicidce. 



To refer once more to the work of Mr. Meade- Waldo, 

 I may mention some observations he has made with regard 

 to the nesting plumages of some of the Owls, which he 

 has kept and bred in his aviaries for a great many years. 

 He has noticed that in Bubo (the Eagle Owls), Syrnium 

 (the Wood Owls), Athene (the Little Owls), and Speotyto 

 (Burrowing Owls), the nestling down is succeeded by a 

 second down-plumage, which gradually becomes more 

 feather-like, and is eventually changed in the autumn for 

 true feathers, the last down to give place to the feathers 

 being that on the secondary wing-coverts and the nape. 



In the genus Scops there is only one down-plumage, which 

 is changed direct into true feathers, and the bird is in full 

 plumage at five weeks old or less. In the genus Strix 

 (Barn Owls) there is also only one down-plumage which 

 changes direct into feathers, but these Owls take much 

 longer to mature than the Scops Owls. I believe these 

 observations of Mr. Meade- Waldo's are quite new, and they 

 are certainly extremely interesting and important. 



One might mention many more instances to show the 

 importance of aviculture as a means of studying the breeding 

 habits of birds and the plumage and character of their 

 young. Instances such as that of the extraordinary orna- 

 mentation of the mouths of the young of several of the 

 Ploceidœ might be given, some of which are decorated with 

 the most brilliant bead-like excrescences, which enable the 

 parents in the semi-darkness of the covered nest to see 

 where to place the food. But I have said enough on the 

 subject of breeding birds. I have only now to mention a 

 few cases in which the keeping of birds in captivity has 

 enabled us to clear up some difiiculties and errors that have 

 existed with regard to the cpiestion as to whether certain 

 forms belong to distinct species or merely varieties, or are 

 only freaks of nature. 



