Page:Birdcraft-1897.djvu/32

   female for a bird of another species; hence the importance of describing the plumage of both sexes.

The Scarlet Tanager has a green mate (there is great wisdom in this—a brilliant brooding bird would betray the location of the nest); the female Hummingbird lacks the ruby throat of her spouse; and the Wife of the sleek black, white, and buff Bobolink wears sober brown. When the birds arrive in the spring, these colour distinctions are marked; but after the nesting time, which occurs mostly in May and June, a fresh complication arises. The young birds on leaving the nest, though fully grown perhaps and capable of strong ﬂight, often wear hybrid feathers in which the characteristics of both parents are mingled. Soon after this time the summer moulting takes place, for the majority of birds moult twice a year. August is the time of this moulting. The jubilant love-song ceases, and the birds, dishevelled and moping, keep well in the shelter of the trees or retreat to the woods, as they are weakened and their power of ﬂight is diminished. After the moulting comes another disturbing element, not only for the novice, but for those well versed in bird ways; with many birds the colours of the spring plumage are either wholly changed or greatly modified, and though the song may be in a measure renewed for a brief season, it is infrequent and not always true. The young birds are now associating with the Old and adding their attempts at warbling, so that I think the snares that lie in the way of beginning the study of Song-birds after midsummer are quite evident.

The male Bobolink, after moulting, becomes brown like the female; the American Goldfinch, a late moulter, turns a dull olive; but the Bluebird’s new feathers are rusty; many Warblers lose their identifying bands and streaks while the Baltimore Oriole keeps his flaming feathers.

After this moulting the bird’s life as an individual ceases for a season; he is no longer swayed by sex, but by the flocking impulse of self—preservation, and in this case it is not always birds of a feather that flock together.

In the early spring, when the relaxing touch of the sun is  