47^ 



BRITISH BIRDS. 



plumage of birds of the year is assumed, which is intermediate between 

 that of young in first plumage and that o£ the adult, which is completed 

 by the second spring — that is to say, when the bird is nearly two years 

 old*. 



* Dresser's description of the changes of plumage of this hird is extremely misleading, 

 owing to a mistranslation of Naumann's remarks on this subject. After having described 

 the young in first plumage, Dresser proceeds to describe the bii'd of the year, prefacing his 

 remarks by saying that " after the first moult (that ia, when the bird is two years old)." 

 This ought, no doubt to read, when the bird is scarcely one year old. Naumann dis- 

 tinctly states that the young commence their first moult early in November, and have 

 scarcely finished it by spring. 



HEKONRY NEAR EPPING FOKEST, 



