COMMON PARTRIDGE 
Adult male. (June to September). — ^During the autumn-moult, the adult 
male assumes a partial “ eclipse ” plumage on the sides of the head and 
on the neck. The crown of the head is clad in brown feathers with 
scarcely a trace of pale shaft - streaks ; the neck is similarly clad, but each 
feather has a pale buff shaft -streak, narrowly bordered with black, a 
plumage which closely resembles that of the female, and more remotely that 
of the immature bird. The forehead, eyebrow-stripes, chin and throat be- 
come so bleached that they are very pale rufous, instead of bright rust -red. 
(Plate XIII, fig. 4.) 
This curious partial eclipse -plumage was first observed and commented 
on by Mr G. E. Lodge, and has recently been described by me for the 
first time. It frequently happens that adult male birds shot in early 
September, and still retaining many feathers of the “ eclipse ” plumage 
on the sides of the neck, are mistaken for very “ forward ” young birds 
of the year; but an examination of the first flight -feather will afford 
conclusive evidence on this point. 
In old birds this feather is rounded at the extremity (fig. 4); while in 
birds of the previous year, still carrying the pointed quill of the first 
plumage, the feather is so worn and faded that it cannot be mistaken for 
that of a young bird. 
Adult female. — ^Easily distinguished from the male by having the crown of 
the head, and back and sides of the neck, brown, with distinct buff shaft- 
streaks ; the ground-colour of the lesser and median wing-coverts and scapulars 
mostly blacky with wide-set^ somewhat wavy, buff cross-bars, in addition to the 
longitudinal buff shaft-stripe down the middle of each feather (figs. 1 
and la); and the chestnut patch on the lower part of the breast smaller, 
or sometimes absent. Birds of the latter type are generally described as 
having a white horse-shoe on the breast. (Plate XVI.) 
In May the hen bird assumes a partial breeding -plumage on the sides 
of the head and on the neck and upper mantle, many of the feathers being 
replaced by black and buff feathers, with a buff shaft -streak and buff 
subterminal spot, which in some cases forms an irregular necklet. This 
change produces a much more mottled appearance on the head and neck 
and is doubtless protective. These spotted feathers are retained till 
September, and are often plainly visible in old females shot in the early 
part of that month. This interesting point was unknown until recently 
when I recorded it for the first time. (Plate XIII, fig. 6.) 
Hen birds which have become sterile from old age or from accident 
139 
