t74 
The Green Fruitsiickcrs. 
in reproducing" their kind and their unfortunate owner was in 
the same state of uncertainty as myself. We arc tcld that the 
face mask is not so extensive in the female as in the male. 
Tiiere was no difference in the pair referred to above*, .so 
that this feature cannot be constant — again we are told the 
colour of the green is of a- different shade in the female, 
and also there is a difference in the shape of their heads — 
well I can only say that in the caged pair already referred 
to I could not detect these distinctions neither could their 
owner. 1 have examined other pairs (not in a cage) with a 
like result and in this unsatisfactory stage the matter remains. 
I have never possessed the female Gold-front, as they are not 
often on the market, and when such chances have occurred, 
the state of the exchequer has forbidden the expenditure. 
Several true pairs are in the possession of aviculturists at the 
present time, and I appeal to tliem to take careful observations 
and to record in our pages any outward sexual distinctions 
they can discover. Sucli points as these avicultui'e certainly 
ought to solve, unfortunately many of us do not take our 
lioljby sci'iously enough and no proper notes are kept; relying 
on the memory leads to many errors and causes the cult of 
aviculture to be spoken slightingly of. 
It would appear that the colours of the plumage in- 
crease in intensity with age, certainly this has been the case 
with the specimen above referred to, which was in immature 
plumage when it left Calcutta, and with each succeeding moult 
the green has got deeper and richer and more overlaid with' 
golden bronze, while the area of turquoise blue has also in- 
creased — also the golden front now extends half-way over 
the crown and even the crown itself is as much gold a.9 
green, so closely and evenly are two hues intermingled.. 
Previous to its second moult all who saw this bird took 
it for the Malabar, as no blue was to be seen on the centre 
of the throat and even now there are some lights in which 
the middle of the throat appears black, but this is never the 
case with the lovely moustachiai streaks. Judging, not only 
from the above specimen, but from many others I have ex- 
amined, I have drawn the conclusion, that the blue throat is 
not assumed till the second moult— I should be glad if any 
of our members would conhrm this or otherwise it would 
