ASSUMING THE PLUMAGE OF THE MALE. 
183 
In an interesting letter in ‘The Field’ (June 17th, 1871), writing 
under the signature of “ Z," the late Mr. E. lllyth says that, in 
the springs of I860 and 1870 he obtained fertile ieinale Kedstarts 
in male plumage, being attracted by their small size j adding that 
the colours were overlaid by dingy tips to the feathers, as in newly 
moulted males in autumn. 
This description would apply pretty •well to the bird upon the 
table, the colours in Avhioh are certainly dingy ; but which, at the 
same time, is not like any autumn-killed male. In autumn there 
is generally a freshness and brilliancy about the plumage of either 
se.\, ■which is wanting in Mr. Millais’ female bird. As long ago as 
1851, iMr. Blyth had written something on the subject in an 
editorial foot-note to an edition of Cuvier’s ‘Animal Kingdom’ 
(p. 159), Avhcrc he says that he had seen females of the Kedstart, 
Linnet, Bedpole, Bed-backed Shrike, and Scaup Duck, which could 
not be distinguished externally from males, and all of them 
contained eggs in the ovarium. Doubtless tlie Bedstart here 
mentioned was one of those alluded to by Mr. Yarrell (/.c.). 
'l ire examples mentioned by Yarrell and Blyth are all I know 
of, with the exception of one shown me some years ago by 
JMr. J. Catebmbe at I’lymouth, which had l)cen obtained near 
that place, and the bird upon the Bible belonging to Mr. Millais.* 
Assumption of male plumage by female Bed-backed Shrikes 
{Lanins coUurio) has been recorded a few times, and in the 
opinion of the recorders, they were — like the Bedstarts — not 
sterile. M’hy this phenomenon should occur in female Bedstarts 
and Shrikes, and not in other Passerine birds (with the 
exception of the genus Oriolns, to be presently alluded to), is 
hard to explain. It is well known the domestic Duck occasionally 
;vssumes the plumage of the Drake. Such an one is figured in 
Bowley’s ‘Ornithological Miscellany’ (vol. i. p. 118): two more 
arc mentioned in Hancock’s ‘Birds of Northumberland and 
Durham’ (p. 152), and the ‘Transactions of the Tyneside Club’ 
(vol. iv. p. 58) ; and another, believed to have been twenty-nine 
years old ivhen it died, is recorded by my father in the ‘Zoologist’ for 
1 883 (p. 1 28). That what happens in tame Ducks should occasionally 
* Professor Newton informs me that some German ornithologists, including 
Naumann (Yog. Deutschl. vol. iii. p. 51 1), mention it. It certainly never 
appears to have been figured. 
