332 Capt. Brown’s Account of the Whidah Bird, 
_ The Whidah Bunting, like most other birds, moults twice a-year, 
and at two periods assumes so completely different an aspect, both 
in colour and structure of its feathering, that few would believe it 
to be the same bird. I have not been able to meet with an account 
of these periodical changes in its native haunts, and can therefore 
only describe them as they take place in this country, distinguish- 
ing them by the summer and winter plumage, although these terms 
but ill express the periods of the year in which the bird is in those 
distinct conditions ; for it is about the 10th of November that what 
I term its “summer plumage” is in perfection ; and about the 10th 
of June its winter garb is in full feather. 
The moult in the Whidah Bunting takes place in a manner dif- 
ferent from all other birds with which I am acquainted ; for it may 
be said to be in a state of perpetual change, as feathers drop off 
during the whole year; and the colours of the bird gradually and 
imperceptibly deepen as it approaches towards the perfect state, 
and. decrease in density when it has reached that point. 
I may remark that this particular bird has, ever since its arrival 
at Drumsheugh, been in the most healthy condition, and its plu- 
mage has at all times exhibited every mark of the total absence of 
disease. In its first moulting there was considerable irregularity, 
arising, in all probability, from the constitution of the bird not hav- 
ing been yet adapted to this climate. 
In 1828, it commenced its change on the 12th of August, and 
almost the whole feathers of the breast dropt off in one night, and 
were nearly as speedily replaced. It reached the perfect state on 
the 20th October ; whereas last year an indication of change took 
place on the 16th July, when the feathers of the head became 
somewhat irregular, at which date the whole colour of the bird was 
darker than on the 10th June, which I consider the time of its 
perfect plumage. On the 19th, still greater indications of a change 
took place. On the 24th, almost all the throat feathers had fallen 
off, and were replaced by black ones, and the ferruginous pecto- 
ral feathers were bursting from their sheaths. Many of the cine- 
reous feathers had fallen off from the back, and were replaced by 
black ones. On the 30th all the throat feathers were replaced by 
black ones, and the pectoral feathers had given place to the ferru- 
ginous ones. From that period a progressive improvement took 
place in the long and middle tail feathers, which had just begun to 
appear, and they had reached their full length on the 10th No- 
vember. 
Winter Plumage.—Plate VIII. (Size of Nature.) 
The Whidah Bunting is five inches and three quarters from - 
the tip of the bill to the extremity of the tail; and, in this state, 
is not unlike the common bunting of Britain, the bill is, “however, 
stronger, and of a pale-bluish lead colour ; the irides dark hazel. 
When the first change of feathering has been effected, its general 
