the red feathers on the top of its head. On examining the
bird’s head I found that some of the feathers were black at
base, leaving only a small margin of red, whilst others were
still almost entirely red. A few days later the thin red
margins of the feathers previously examined had almost
entirely disappeared, and a great many of the others, viz.
the red crown-feathers, were now likewise black at base.
Great care was taken to ascertain whether any feathers were
shed, but none were found in the cage, nor was there any
sign of fresh feathers developing themselves in any part of
the bird’s head.
By November 5 only a few red crown-feathers remained
(fig. 2). In the young male no change had, at that date
(Nov. 5), been noticed, and I found, on lifting up the
feathers of the crown, that all except a few were still red,
without any markings of black. Some, however, at the
anterior part of the crown were mottled with black.
By December 12 all red had disappeared in the female
bird. The male now began to moult the feathers at the nape,
several being found in its cage. By comparing the extent of
red on the crown as it now appeared with that in my sketch
taken on November 5, it was found that the change into
black had made some progress, the red crown now seeming
somewhat smaller than before.
The male bird changed the black feathers on the nape
by moult; but the red crown-feathers turned black by the
gradual progress of the black colour beginning at the base of
each feather. The female did not change colour by moult,
but by a gradual change of coloration in the feathers themselves,
the first regular moult taking place at the age of ten
months, at which time the male shed some wing- and tail-
feathers. It died during that process, having been killed
by a cat.