184 



ON THE CHANGE OF 



" tion from that original form and structure, which 

 gives the distinguishing character to the produc- 

 tion of Nature, may not improperly be called Mon- 

 strous # ." 



The object of the present short memoir, is to en- 

 deavour to shew, by means of such facts as I have 

 been enabled to collect, that the remarkable change 

 of plumage, which takes place in certain Z^?z-birds 

 at an advanced period of their lives, so as to make 

 them resemble the cock of their own species, is not 

 a monstrous, but a perfectly natural occurrence. I 

 may observe, that I consider the illustration of 

 this subject as more necessary, because it is evi- 

 dent, from a perusal of his observations, that Mr 

 Hunter doubted whether the instances which he 

 adduced, really deserved to be considered "mons- 

 trous" or natural in their occurrence. 



The Hen-pheasant and Pea-hen, are the only two 

 examples of female-birds assuming the plumage of 

 the male, in old age, given by that great physiologist. 

 Had Mr Hunter been acquainted with any instances 

 of a similar nature, occurring in other hen-birds, he 

 would, of course, have described them ; for it cannot 

 well be supposed, that he would have omitted to 

 notice the common Domestic Hen, if he had been 

 aware, that at a certain advanced period of her life, 

 she regularly discards her dusky plumage, for the 

 more beautiful attire of the cock. 



* Vide Animal Economy, p. 75. 



