. A history of British birds . reyish-white. After their firstmoult the males have the yellow much mixed with duskyspots: the bright yellow in very old males appears toextend over a larger surface than in those which areyounger. As remarked by Macgillivray of this species, and theobservation seems to hold good with all the Europeanmembers of the family Emherizidce, the changes which takeplace in the plumage during winter and spring are due tothe wearing off of the long margins of the feathers and tothe fading of their brighter colours. He goes on to denythe generally-received opinion that bird
. A history of British birds . reyish-white. After their firstmoult the males have the yellow much mixed with duskyspots: the bright yellow in very old males appears toextend over a larger surface than in those which areyounger. As remarked by Macgillivray of this species, and theobservation seems to hold good with all the Europeanmembers of the family Emherizidce, the changes which takeplace in the plumage during winter and spring are due tothe wearing off of the long margins of the feathers and tothe fading of their brighter colours. He goes on to denythe generally-received opinion that birds assume richer tintsin the breeding-season, but though literally he may be rightas regards the species of the present group and some others,he is only so when we limit the meaning of his words to itsstrictest bounds. The rich tints are indeed there, but theyare obscured by the overlapping of the dull-coloured marginsof the feathers, and it is not until these margins are shedthat the full beauty of the bright hues is VOL. II. 50 PASSERES. EMBEHlZlDiE. EMBERIZIDyE.
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Keywords: ., bookauthorsaun, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirds
