PASSERINE BIRDS FOUND MIGRATING IN MOULT 251 



Continental Song-thrushes (Turdus philomelus philomelus), 

 one, a female from the Isle of May (18th October 1913), 

 had several feathers on the upper back still partly 

 in quill. A great many British Song-thrushes (T. ph. 

 clarkei) kill themselves at the lanterns round our coasts. 

 We have examined fifty-seven, killed during January, March, 

 September, and October ; of these, we find eight (2 spring, 

 6 autumn) with feathers in quill on the crop, while one 

 (30th September 191 3, Isle of May, 9) also had heavy moult 

 on breast and belly. Three Common Wheatears, out of a 

 total of eighteen, showed signs of moult ; one at the Isle of 

 May lantern on 29/30th September 191 3 had the tail only 

 half grown, one of the old feathers still remaining {Scot. Nat., 

 1914, p. 108). Of two from the Little Ross lantern on the 

 night of i9/20th August 1914, one had a good many 

 feathers still partly in quill on the back, while the other had 

 the first primary in each wing short and partly in quill, 

 three secondaries in each wing, one or two feathers on the 

 crown, a few on the back, a good many on breast and flanks, 

 partly or wholly in quill. None of the Greater Wheatears, 

 Whinchats, Stonechats, Redstarts, Black Redstarts, and 

 Bluethroats examined showed any sign of moult, except 

 a Whinchat from Little Ross lantern (i9/20th August 

 19 14), which had one or two feathers on the crown, all on 

 the lores and ear-coverts, and many on the breast still 

 partly in quill; a Redstart from the Isle of May (1st 

 October 191 2), which showed moult on the ear-coverts and 

 throat; and a female Black Redstart from Pentland Skerries 

 on 28th March 191 3, which had ear-coverts strongly in moult 

 and feathers on the crop in quill. Continental Robins 

 {Dandalus rubecula rubeculd) appear to finish their moult 

 before migrating, only one of those we examined having 

 feathers in quill; this was a male from the Isle of May 

 on 1st October 191 2. The British sub-species, D. v., 

 melophilus, showed more of interest : five out of seven 

 autumn birds having body feathers still partly in quill, this 

 being specially noticeable on the under side. One Conti- 

 nental Hedge-sparrow {Prunella modularis ^nodularis), out 

 of four autumn birds examined, had several feathers on the 



