44 



BRITISH BIRDS. 



adultSj except that fewer of the feathers have the golden-yellow fringes. 

 The third group, which consists of the immature males, is quite distinct. 

 In these birds the fringes are dull reddish orange, but there is a consider- 

 able individual variation. In some the orange is very yellow, in others 

 very red, and occasionally both colours are found on the same bird. The 

 Pine-Grosbeak only moults once a year, in autumn, and consequently the 

 adult plumage is not assumed until the second autumn ; but it is said that 

 immature males have been found breeding in their first spring. The con- 

 fusion on this question has arisen from the fact that in confinement the 

 adult males lose the red plumage after the first moult, and remain ever 

 afterwards in the orange or immature plumage. It is possible that very 

 old males may reassume the immature plumage in a wild state, as cage- 

 birds always do ; and it may also be possible that very vigorous young birds 

 may moult from their first plumage direct into the red adult dress, or they 

 may assume the red adult dress in their first spring by a change of colour 

 of the feather without a moult. These possibilities are, however, by no 

 means proved, and, even if they do occur, are probably very exceptional. 



