52 The Natural History of British Ducks 
new plumage, especially in the case of the eclipse, there is a more sudden 
acquisition of complete colour. This is, of course, due to the new feathers 
coming in in a complete state. 
The adult male Wigeon may commence to change into his eclipse dress 
any time in June or the beginning of July, and in specimens which I have 
kept in confinement the full plumage was assumed by an almost direct moult, 
with little if any colour sympathy taking place either in the old or the new 
feathers, except on the head. Here I noticed that nearly all the old feathers, 
especially on the crown and cheeks, a few days before they were shed, turned 
very pale, and became furnished with the dark brown spots of the eclipse. 
As with the Mallard, the eclipse plumage of the Wigeon drake is 
dormant till about August 12, when it undergoes very much the same course 
of colour change and gradual moult as the former species. Through the end 
of August we notice some really beautiful colour changes taking place ; 
notably in the richly marked scapulars. 
The change which takes place about the end of September in the 
splendidly rich red-brown feathers of the flank too is a really remarkable 
colour change. In some cases these richly coloured feathers simply turn pale 
and moult, whilst their places are taken by new winter ones ; in others the 
most perfect colour changes take place, one half of the old feathers being pure 
red-brown, the other half grey with dark ribs, whilst the new feathers come in 
with precisely similar colouring (see coloured figure facing page 52). 
So the colour change and the moult goes on till the bird is clothed in 
its complete winter dress, at times as early as October 10, and as late as 
November 20. 
The Female Wigeon 
The young female Wigeon in first plumage resembles the young male very 
closely until the end of August, when the latter are easily distinguished by the 
advent of a few grey feathers, and they are moreover rather darker. There is 
