8 British Diving Ducks 
head rich red-brown ; eye-stripe from sandy-yellow to russet-brown ; over the eye a black- 
brown patch of feathers ; cheeks and sides of the neck almost black ; nape, neck-collar, and 
upper tail-coverts black ; back and inner scapulars black and white or brown and white 
intermixed ; chin, front of the neck, lores, and cheeks pale grey-brown, showing small 
blackish markings ; upper-chest white with black edgings or brown bars ; sides of the upper- 
chest and feathers on flanks that cover the wings black. The wings, mantle, rump, and 
lower-parts usually retain the juvenile-plumage, but fade considerably as the season 
advances. Many examples, however, assume a large number of black feathers, from the 
lower portion of the white-and-cream chest-shield to the rump. 
So the advance continues — new feathers coming in and old ones "wearing" and 
moulting — to April, when the young male seems to have effected all the plumage-change 
he will do until the eclipse-plumage commences. 
Second Stage. — By the middle of April many advanced young males have the whole of 
the chin, chest, and nape white and cream-buff as in old birds ; the crown and sides of the 
back of the head remain reddish-brown ; the black patches above, below, and in front of 
the eye to the bill are generally half changed ; ' the sea-green patch over and behind the ear- 
coverts is also completely developed or intermixed with black-and-brown feathers of the 
first stage ; the cheeks too are usually mixed dark brown and white ; a line of black feathers 
is now fully developed along the upper flanks ; upper and lower tail-coverts are renewed 
and black ; scapulars are white with broad or narrow edges of black. As previously stated, 
the crown, mantle, rump, and wings, and nearly all the lower-parts remain in juvenile- 
plumage, and the feathers of these parts are not shed until July. The change of the tail 
also varies in individuals. The most interesting feature of the plumage of the nine-months- 
old male in April, is that when gaining the white chin and throat it nearly always leaves 
a broad V-shaped line of the brown feathers. This characteristic mark is often retained 
throughout the summer, and forms an interesting parallel to the V-shaped mark found in 
many of the adult males of S. m. 7nollissima and its local races. 
First Eclipse-plumage. — From April until the end of June little or no change takes place 
except the usual fading and wearing of the feathers, and then the first eclipse-plumage 
begins to make its appearance, and may be said to be complete by the end of July. 
The feathers of the whole head and neck are shed and replaced in a few days by a 
plumage resembling, but somewhat darker than, that of the juvenile ; eye-stripe dull white 
with blackish markings ; crown, upper parts of cheeks, and back of head and neck black ; 
rest of cheeks and throat grey-brown ; mantle and scapulars blackish-brown. In a bird 
killed on July 6 at Fitfulhead, Shetland, which has effected the above change, the wings, 
tail, and nearly all the lower parts are still in juvenile-plumage, much worn and faded ; the 
white-and-buff shield on the upper-chest and its sides is replaced by a new set of feathers 
— white with brown-black bars, and edged with reddish-brown ; the long faded scapulars 
are still unshed and sandy-yellow as well as the primaries. 
Second JVinter-phtmage. — So the plumage remains until the middle of August, when 
the wings and tail are generally renewed, though this is sometimes not accomplished until 
early September. Towards the end of August the next change to second winter-plumage 
^ The change, when it takes place on the crown, as it does in a few advanced birds, is effected by a wearing process. The red- 
brown tips wear off, and the upper parts of the feathers which are black with a blue gloss are revealed. 
