THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
only the underparts of the body (the lower breast and belly) differing 
conspicuously. The first feathers of the winter -plumage begin to appear 
on the rump and lower back towards the end of August or beginning of 
September. 
The autumn -plumage always commences to appear on the head and 
neck, while with the winter -plumage the reverse obtains, the new feathers 
appearing first on the rump, etc., the moult gradually spreading towards 
the head. The feathers of the legs and feet are moulted in June, and at 
that season the legs of healthy birds are almost bare; in July the new 
white feathers begin to appear and the claws are shed. 
Adult male. Winter-summer-plumage ^ from October to the end of May.— 
General colour above, black, with finely mottled bars of dark chestnut; 
the head, neck and chest mostly rich chestnut, finely marked with black; 
the flanks mottled and barred with the same colours, the chestnut 
colour usually predominating. Generally a greater or lesser number of 
autumn -feathers are retained, and are conspicuous by their light buff 
and black markings among the new winter -plumage. The rest of the 
underparts remain the same as after the autumn-moult. The general 
colour of each bird varies according to the type to which it belongs, some 
being darker, some lighter. 
When once the winter-moult is complete, no change whatever takes 
place in the plumage of the male till the following autumn-moult, which 
commences towards the end of May, except that the feathers become 
bleached and worn at the extremities. 
It is by no means unusual to find birds, which have been suffering 
from disease, their natural change being greatly retarded, still com- 
pleting their winter -plumage in spring, especially on the head and neck, 
which are the last portions to moult. These feathers have been quite 
erroneously regarded as representing a partial breeding -plumage in the 
male, but their black and chestnut markings show them to be merely 
deferred winter -plumage. 
Adult female. Autumn^^winter-plumage. August to March. — ^The upperparts 
are black, with narrow irregular bars and mottlings of rufous and with a 
small distinct buff spot at the tip of most of the feathers ; the chest and 
flank -feathers narrowly and often irregularly barred with rufous and 
black, and usually more or less tipped with buff. The rest of the underparts 
is chestnut, mottled and barred with black, or black, barred with chestnut. 
The typical white -spotted form differs in having the feathers of the under - 
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