2 6 The Natural History of British Ducks 
the head changes first. As a rule the change is general throughout, the last 
parts to alter being usually the tail and the lower part of the chestnut 
breast. 
As the jet-black vent-feathers and black curly feathers above the tail are 
often amongst the last to come into the plumage, it is not surprising that they 
should appear in full colour ; but in the case of the adult drake, the tail-feathers 
far more frequently come in brown and ribbed, and the new vent-feathers are 
often a yellowish-white, turning in a week or two to jet black. 
The bill and legs of the young male change gradually from pea-green 
to a bright orange, and by the end of November it is generally impossible to 
tell the young males from the old ones. 
The Immature Female 
The first plumage of the young female Mallard much resembles that of 
the old female in winter. Immatures can, however, be easily distinguished 
from adults by their smaller size, the dull colour of the bill and legs, and 
the narrow, smaller, and more closely ribbed mottling and spotting of the 
brown and buff plumage. Though the back and scapular feathers may at 
times exactly resemble those of an adult, the breast markings of the 
immatures are always indecisive and ' stripey,' quite unlike the evenly spotted 
markings of an old bird. As, too, in the case of the young males, the tails 
of young females are seen to be much worn at the ends, in the months of 
August and September, whilst those of adults are quite new and neatly 
arranged. Since there are no great contrasts in colour to be overcome in the 
autumnal moult, the old feathers in August and September fall out, and the 
new ones come in directly, in what we may call their finished state. The 
plumage of young females, therefore, often appears to be complete somewhat 
earlier than that of immature males. 
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