1902.] P. Finn — General Notes on Variation in Birds* 163 



Similarly, the adult female Scarlet Ibises (Eudocimus ruber) in the 

 Calcutta Zoological Gardens always remain of a rich salmon- pink, while 

 the male shows stains of scarlet in places in the spring. 



A young female bred in these gardens moulted out white feathers 

 at first from her brown immature dress, whereas a young male's first 

 adult plumage came out pink. 



Some of the hens kept in Calcutta, on the other hand, assume in the 

 breeding season a goitre-like enlargement of the throat; this never 

 occurs in the cock. The fact that tlie species here remains red at all is 

 noteworthy, as in Europe it becomes very pale, getting more so at each 

 moult, whereas our adult birds here have remained equally bright for 

 years. 



The legs of Finches which in the wild state are black, become 

 usually fleshy white after moulting in confinement, as is well known to 

 fanciers in the common Goldfinch {Garduelis carduelis). I find the same 

 thing happens with the Himalayan Goldfinch ( G. caniceps) when kept 

 in Calcutta, also with the Eastern race of the Linnet {Acanthis linaria 

 fringillirostris). The toes are first affected. 



G. Pathological Variation. 



In the cases above-mentioned, the birds seem to be healthy, but 

 when a bird is in poor health, certain variations present themselves 

 which are more or less constant and definable. They may occur under 

 domestication or in the wild state, but are naturally more frequently 

 observed in the former case, since a sickly bird cannot survive long in 

 nature. 



Baldness in certain places is very common ; the lores, and in bad 

 cases the whole space round the eye, are apt to become bald in the 

 domestic Duck and its ancestor the Mallard, in unhealthy surroundings, 

 as when confined in a coop. The nearly allied Spotted-bill {Anas 

 pcecUorhyncha) does not suffer in this way, nor does any other Duck so 

 far as I know. 



Baldness round the eyes also occurs in the Starling {Sturnus 

 vulgaris) and sometimes in the Rosy Starling (Pastor roseus). In the 

 latter species I have seen one or two birds affected while the rest, 

 treated in exactly the same way, were exempt. The head of a tamed 

 specimen of the Jungle Mynah {^thsiopsar fusciis), which has become 

 bald-faced while living at perfect liberty, is figured below. The 

 resemblance to the normal state of affairs in the adult Rook (Corvus 

 frugilegusjy is obvious, and suggests a hereditary incapacity to retain 

 the facial plumage in that species. 



