200 OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHANGES OF 



noticed. The female had evidenced no appearance of change, or pro- 

 gress towards a change, until the moulting season arrived. This com- 

 menced in June : both birds moulted freely, the female three weeks 

 later than the male. In the latter, the feathers of the head came out 

 nearly pure white ; those of the tail continued still irregularly barred 

 with brown and ash, but became gradually whiter till about the latter 

 end of October, when he had all the markings of an adult bird. The 

 feathers of the female assumed nearly the colours of the male, at 

 the time I first received him. In the beginning of November, all fur- 

 ther change in the plumage of the female appeared to have been 

 checked. The birds remained in my possession till the following Ja- 

 nuary, when they were sent to Europe. 



The above observations, in addition to the facts they present with 

 regard to the process by which changes in colour are effected in this 

 species, enable us to form some idea of the time it may require to 

 produce the full plumage. Birds in confinement, deprived of the ex- 

 ercise, air and food to which they are accustomed in a state of nature, 

 often moult irregularly, and the time they attain full plumage is con- 

 siderably protracted. An individual of this species which was for 

 some time in my possession, did not moult for eighteen months, al- 

 though apparently in good health ; and when at last this process took 

 place, it was in January, the coldest month of the year in Carolina. 

 In the present instance the male received the white feathers in his head 

 and tail a year earlier than the female, which, I have reason to believe, 

 would not have been the case if they had been left at liberty. Here, 

 however, is one instance established, with a tolerable degree of cer- 

 tainty, of this species arriving at full plumage in three years. 



Strix asio. The young of this species was first described under the 

 above name ; and the old as strix nsevia. Its general colour above is 

 reddish brown, but when it receives its mature plumage it is mottled 

 with white, ash and pale brown. I have possessed very few opportu- 

 nities of examining the change of plumage in this species. Having, 

 however, once found an individual sitting on its nest while yet in the 

 red stage, I conclude that they do not arrive at full plumage till they 

 are more than a year old. 



In the month of February (the year was not noted, and is unneces- 



