1897.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 369 



large 9eries in studying the molt and the erroneous conclusions which 

 may be drawn from negative evidence." 



In investigating the annual molt of the Sanderling, I had before 

 me a series of sixty-seven skins taken from May to November, in- 

 cluding besides those in the collection of the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences of Philadelphia, a series from the U. S. National Museum 

 and the American Museum of Natural History, kindly loaned by 

 the authorities of these institutions. 



The series of spring specimens which I have examined serves but 

 to substantiate Mr. Chapman's account of the spring molt, and is 

 not concerned with the present paper. 



My series may be grouped as follows : — 



Birds of the year in first plumage, 19 (Aug. 26th to Oct. 20th). 



Birds of the year showing molt of the body feathers, 9 (Sept. 29th 

 to Nov. 10th). 



Old birds in nuptial plumage, 8 (May 21st to Aug. 14th). 



Old birds showing molt, 28 (Aug. 2nd to Oct. 31st), 8 of which 

 (Aug. 14th to Oct. 31st) show molt in the primaries. 



Old birds in full winter plumage, 3. 



The birds of the year, as is well known, molt the body plumage 

 in the autumn and the black and white feathers of the back and 

 head are replaced by light gray as in the winter adults. 



The following table shows the progress of this molt : — 



U. S. N. M., 106,443, Romney, Eng., Aug. 29th, one or two gray 



feathers. 

 A. M. N. H., 54,698, Devon, Eng., Sept. 10th, one or two gray 



feathers. 

 A. N. S. P., 34,169, Beach Haven, N. J., October, about 25 gray 



feathers. 

 U. S. N. M., 128,796, Aldabra Isl., Africa, Nov. 10th, about half 



the feathers gray. 

 U. S. N. M., 41,774, Merida, Yucatan, about half the feathers gray. 

 A. N. S. P., 34,873, Wolfville, N. S., Sept. 29th, gray feathers pre- 

 dominating. 

 U. S. N. M., 81,754, Ventura, Cal., Nov. 2d, molt complete. 



Other specimens from Wolfville, N. S., taken Sept. 29th, and one 

 from Havre, France, Oct. 20th, have not begun to change. 



This shows the great variation in the time of the molt. 



Some species of birds molt their remiges and rectrices with the 

 first body plumage, but none of the specimens examined show any 

 evidence of such molt in the Sanderling. 



