MR. .1. II. GURNEY ON A FEMALE FERNIS APIVORUS. 
2.53 
intermediate white transverse bar on each feather, the remainder of 
the feather beinj' brown. At the time of the bird’s death, the 
greater part of the tail featlicrs had been either moulted or worn 
off, and had not yet been renew'ed ; but with this exception, 
and that of several old primaries which still remained unmoulted, 
the bird had actpiired a full new plumage at the time when it died. 
I may add that I could not at any time detect any grey 
colouring about the head of this specimen, and I attribute tliis to 
the fact (whicli I ascertained by dissection) of its lieing a female 
bird. I may also mention that the ovarium appeared to be rpiitc 
healthy, but the ova were small, the largest being only about 
tlie size of snipe-.shot, and most of them much smaller. 
It will be seen by a reference to the details which I have 
recorded that this specimen successively exhibited three distinct 
pha.scs of plumage, much resembling three of the figures given by 
Mr. Drc.sser in the article on Pernis apivonis in the sixth 
volume of his work on the ‘ birds of Europe.’ Its [dumage, when 
first caught, was like that of the young male from Sarepta, 
represented by the left-hand llgure on plate 3G4, but decidedly 
darker, especially on the under parts ; its second plumage resembled 
that of the Horning specimen (ligure No. 1 on plate 3GG), but 
with a rather larger admixture of brown on the head, neck, 
and under parts ; whilst the dress ultimately attained was very 
similar to that of the old female whose portrait forms the left-hand 
figure on plate 3G5. I ought, however, to add that plates 3G4 
and 3GG represent the irides as having a tinge of orange, which 
never existed in my specimen. 
^fr. Dresser, at page five of his volume above referred to, states 
that the second of the.se phases of plumage is so rare, that he 
can scarcely consider it to be a normal stage, but rather to be 
dui to individual variation, and in this view I am disposed 
to concur. 
