ASfiUMlNU THE PLUMAGE OF THE MALE. 
185 
Tlie genus Oriulus has been mentioned ; but there is not much to 
bo said about it, for it does not appear to be a case in point, the 
females, if they live long enough, generally, or perhaps always, 
becoming as bright as males [vide ‘Ibis,’ 1864, p. 4r2,y?'/<?E. Blyth ; 
I.C., p. G3, Jide C. A. Wright ; Yarrell, ‘ British Birds,’ vol. i. p. 218, 
d/de Hoy). It should, however, not bo passed over, as bearing on 
the general subject. 
Mr. Blyth suspected the same of the Indian Pheasants Pucrasia 
also (‘Field,’ June 17th, 1871, p. 489). My father sees some 
reason for thinking that the same is the case with the Merlin, 
of which a female in complete male plumage, killed in Cashmere, 
is described by Mr. J. Scully (‘Ibis,’ 1881, p. 418) ; and another, 
very fur advanced, is figured in Dresser’s ‘ Birds of Europe ’ 
(vol. vi. p. 83). 
I have a female ^lerlin nearly as grey as Dresser’s figure, killed 
in March, 1867, which was carefully sexed. 
Supposed female Sparrow Hawks in male jilumage have been 
recorded two or three times (vide Harting’s ‘Birds of Middlesex,’ 
p. 8; ‘Zoologist,’ 1847, p. 1637 ; 1848, p. 2410). 
Mr. Maephersou tells me that Mr. J. G. Goodchild has met with 
two female Kestrels assuming male plumage. Female Kestrels not 
uncommonly get on the lower part of the back a strong bluish 
tinge ; one such was killed at Northrepps, and 1 have another 
which I shot in Algeria. Jlr. B. B. Sharpe luis given a figure in 
the ‘Proceedings of the Zoological Society’ (1874, p. 580), to 
which my father has drawn my attention, of a female trapped 
in Hertfordshire with the blue colour verv strong. 
V O 
