370 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



thirteen days (Zool., 1846, p. 1497), and Tidemann fourteen. 

 None of the small birds appear to exceed a fortnight, but in such 

 a distinct form as Panurus there might be a difference of a day 

 or two. 



I can testify to its being a fact that the cock bird occasionally 

 takes part in incubation, though this has been doubted by 

 Keulemans, who had in confinement the beautiful examples 

 figured in Dresser's ' Birds of Europe,' and probably ascertained 

 from them that the duration of the moult was nearly five weeks. 

 His excellent account of its habits as a cage bird and in a wild 

 state in Holland is given in the ' Birds of Europe,' and again 

 in Keuleman's ' Cage Birds,' an uncompleted work, and therefore 

 but little known. 



Description. 



The adult male and female are almost too well known to 

 need description. The prevailing colour is tawny orange, and in 

 the cock the head is blue grey, with a black moustache on each 

 cheek, long and pointed, with no apparent utility other than 

 ornament. These beautiful colours are at their best from 

 December to April 1st, after which they deteriorate. Females are 

 never so handsome as males, and always lack the grey head, 

 which is so beautiful : excellent descriptions are given in 

 the ' Birds of Europe ' from specimens which I supplied of 

 both sexes. But the plumage of immaturity is far more 

 remarkable. 



For a long time after quitting the nest the young have black 

 backs, and are cream-coloured, so that if Bonaparte gave his 

 name of P. sibiricus to a young bird it was a very excusable 

 mistake. Radde was nearly led into the same error ('Ibis,' 1889, 

 p. 87). 



It is said that young males can be distinguished by their 

 more lemon-coloured bills. The nestling when only a day old 

 has a brighter mouth than any other nestling bird in England, 

 for the palate is red, with four little rows of black and white 

 dots. Mr. Lodge tried to photograph a brood with their mouths 

 open, but it was a failure, and my sketch is not sufficiently 

 accurate for reproduction, indeed, it would be exceedingly difficult 

 to give the vivid colours properly. The colour of young birds' 



