248 THE SCOTTISH NATURALIST 



Spotted Flycatchers, out of a total of four examined, showed 

 signs of moult; one from the Little Ross lantern (19th 

 August 1914) had three secondaries in the left wing entirely, 

 and two partly in quill, a good many feathers on the top of 

 the head, some on the back, many on the throat, lores, crop, 

 breast, belly, vent, and rump partly in quill, the tail feathers 

 being old. In all probability this was one of our own birds 

 leaving us. 



Warblers, as a whole, are strongly attracted by light ; we 

 have therefore been able to examine a fairly large series 

 of them. The Phylloscopi were very barren of results; we 

 inspected Chiffchaffs, Northern Chiffchaffs, Siberian Chiff- 

 chaffs, Yellow-browed Warblers, Wood-warblers, Willow- 

 warblers, and Northern Willow-warblers, and out of ninety- 

 one skins the only ones which showed any signs of moult 

 were one Northern Chiffchaff, killed by a cat on the Isle 

 of May, on 7th October 191 3, which had a good many 

 feathers on the back, many on the top of the head, nape, 

 ear-coverts, and rump, and a few on the breast partly in quill ; 

 and three autumn Willow-warblers, which had body feathers 

 not fully developed. Grasshopper-warblers appear to have 

 a double moult ; unfortunately we have only been able to 

 examine three spring birds, all in perfect plumage, clear and 

 bright in colour, with almost no signs of wear, and two 

 autumn birds in a very different condition. One from the 

 Isle of May on 21st September 1908 had all the tail feathers 

 very much worn, wing feathers somewhat worn, top of the 

 head very rough (old feathers), back and breast feathers 

 freshly moulted ; while a female got on Fair Isle on 22nd 

 September 191 3 had no sign of fresh feathers coming, the 

 whole plumage, including the remiges and rectrices, being old 

 and much worn. Of seventeen Sedge-warblers examined, 

 four, all August birds, showed signs of moult : these were in 

 mixed plumage, some feathers being old and worn, others 

 fresh. The most interesting specimen was a female from the 

 Little Ross lantern (1 7/1 8th August 191 2): this bird had 

 a good many feathers on the nape and back still partially 

 in quill ; the other feathers on the back were mostly old, and 

 the tail-coverts were partly in quill ; the centre pair of tail 



