BIRDS MOULTING IN THEIR WINTER QUARTERS 7 



Turning now to the Waders, we find many of these moult 

 after their arrival in their winter quarters. Among the most 

 interesting birds we examined were the Ruffs {Machetes 

 pitgnax) : of these, three adults were taken on 2nd November 

 1 9 10 in Uganda. A male had feathers coming in on the top of 

 the head and back, while the throat and breast were heavily 

 in moult; the second primary in both wings was only about an 

 inch long, and some of the tertiaries were partly in quill ; the 

 rest of the wing feathers and tail looked new. The other 

 male had the second primary only about an inch and a half 

 long, one of the tertiaries partly in quill, the rest of the 

 plumage freshly moulted exQept for some of the wing-coverts, 

 which were old. The Reeve had a lot of feathers partly in 

 quill on the head and some on the back, while the whole 

 under-surface was heavily in moult; the primaries, secondaries, 

 and tail looked fresh, and some of the secondary coverts and 

 under tail-coverts were still in quill. Two more winter Ruffs 

 from Uganda (no date) both had signs of moult on the back ; 

 one had a secondary covert in quill, while the other had 

 feathers coming in, in front. Another winter Ruff from 

 Uganda showed no sign of moult, and this was also the case 

 with a Reeve from Malta on 25th April 1874. Although the 

 nuptial adornments of the Ruff are cast as early as July, yet it 

 would appear that the full autumn moult is either a very 

 prolonged operation or does not take place till a much later 

 date, as it will be noted that all the above birds taken in 

 November were still moulting freely. Two little Stints {Erolia 

 viiinita viinutd) got in Egypt in September showed no signs 

 of moult. The three young Common Sandpipers {Tringa 

 Jiypoleuca) examined point to the conclusion that this bird 

 migrates in its first feather plumage, moulting into its first 

 winter dress after arrival at its winter quarters. A female, 

 got in Uganda on 26th September 19 10, was in first feather 

 plumage and showed no sign of moult ; while an October bird 

 from Ternate had the seventh primary and some tertiaries 

 partly in quill. A male from Santa Cruz, near Bombay, ist 

 November 191 2, had a lot of small feathers coming in on the 

 back and some on the head, heavy moult on the whole of the 

 underside, and some tertiaries in quill. Of the adult Common 



