KUNGL. SV. VET. AKADEMIENS HANDLINGAR. BAND 52. N:o 17. 23 
as if certain feathers ran through a colour-recapitulation before the final plumage 
colour becomes permanent, and that these feathers may accordingly indicate the 
appearance of the original form. 
It remains to be briefly mentioned that the detrition the plumage passes through 
during the dry season is often no less perceptible than the before-mentioned dis- 
colouration, caused by insolation. When the time of moulting approaches, still more 
when it has begun one finds peculiar phenomena of loss and detrition. I shall now 
give some contrary cases. 
In the female of Calyptorhynchus macrorhynchus the yellow spots are soon 
affected by total destruction. 
In both sexes the feathers have more and more lost that brilliance and colour, 
which they had when new. Simultaneously a wearing out of the borders has taken place. 
Then the yellow spots begin to be exposed to the process of shedding so that 
the rami are just as if cut off in a line, which exactly follows the limit of the 
yellow in the feather, the result is an empty part corresponding to the size of 
the spot. Also in the striped feathers the vane is lost to a corresponding extent, and 
in addition to these, outer parts of the feathers are also shed. (See fig. 6 and 7; plate 
2, fig. 11 a and 11b.) Podargus, however, achieves a result, which is in some respects 
contrary to the one mentioned formerly. For in this case a loss or wearing takes 
place only at the points of the side-rami, while the point of the feather with its 
rami remains. The part which remains is that which on the plumage forms the black 
longitudinal streaks (see fig. 8 and plate 2, fig. 13 a and 13 b). It is these, which 
give Podargus its streaked appearance, corresponding to the bark of the Eucalyptus 
trunks. 
Perhaps the retention of the black-coloured feather-brush is an adaptation in 
order to preserve the protective colour. At all events it pre-supposes special resisting 
power of the rami, which make up this brush. 
Besides, the old feathers of several species show other peculiar phenomena of 
loss as the pictures of them show more exactly (see Dacelo cervina and Melopsittacus 
undulatus). In young feathers also similar phenomena are to be traced, and among 
the young birds as well as among the adults certain cases may perhaps be due to 
quite pathological circumstances (the latter species). Concerning the disappearance 
of the spots and stripes this helps to accelerate the appearance of the new plumage. 
When the moulting takes place or begins at the rainy season, this acceleration will 
be favourable to breeding. 
Birds and reptiles. 
In a country where a species of wild dog alone represents the beasts of prev 
their place will accordingly be taken by other animals or species. To the birds the 
Dingo is in fact of very little importance in above mentioned respect. 
The number of the birds of prey, on the contrary, is remarkably large. But 
as a matter of fact most of them do not »hunt on the wings» but feed on prey they 
