BRITISH WAEBLERS 



now find that, in some years, the immature birds are the first 

 to arrive. There is little difficulty in deciding this, since, 

 compared to the fully developed males, these immature 

 individuals are inferior in beauty; their plumage is dull, 

 the feathers appearing to lack sufficient colouring matter, 

 and in some cases the black feathers on the head are still 

 tipped with brown. The difference also in the quality of the 

 feathers is very striking, which, while lacking the finish and 

 gloss of the older birds, resemble more nearly the undeveloped 

 plumage of the young on leaving the nest. The inferiority 

 with regard to the song is even more marked, the immature 

 birds not possessing so great a variation nor the same rich- 

 ness of tone. But some recognised definition of the term 

 " mature " is really needed. We cannot judge by any one 

 particular phase of plumage, since there is little doubt that 

 the colour increases in intensity and the growth of the 

 feathers continues for some years, possibly throughout the 

 life of many species. It is probable that it will ultimately 

 be found that the quality of the plumage and the richness 

 of the song develop correspondingly. There is only one 

 logical definition of the term, i.e., the age at which an 

 individual attains to the power of sexual reproduction. 



Wooded banks and dingles, coppices, gardens with plenty 

 of evergreens, and woods in which the timber is annually 

 felled, and in which, consequently, there is an abundance of 

 undergrowth, are the favourite resorts of these birds, provided 

 that there are sufficient trees overgrown with the common 

 climbing ivy (Hedera helix) close at hand, for they live on 

 the fruit of this ivy until there is sufficient insect food to 

 maintain them ; which is probably for two or three weeks 

 after their arrival, but the time varies according to the con- 

 dition of the season and the development of insect life. 



There are few more spring-like sounds than the song of 

 the male ; it has, in fact, a peculiar cheerfulness, which alone 

 seems to transform winter into spring. Arriving during the 

 night, he commences to sing soon after dawn, but the energy 



