138 BKlilSH BIRDS. [vol. ix. 



known to others besides myself for some years. I can 

 testify to a " spring moult " in female ducks of the 

 following species from examples in my o^nl collection : 

 Sheld-Duck (Tadorna tadorna), Gad\\'all (Anas strepera), 

 Teal (Anas c. crecca), American Green-winged Teal (Anas 

 c. carolinensis), American Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors), 

 Wigeon (Anas penelojje.) Shove ler (Spatula clypcata). 

 Pintail (Dafila acuta), Red-crested Pochard (Netta 

 rufi.7ia), Ferruginous Duck (Nyroca nyroca), Tufted Duck 

 (Nyroca fuligida), Scaup-Duck (Nyroca m. marila), 

 Long-tailed Duck [Clangula hyenudis), Harlequin-Duck 

 (Histrionicus histrionicus), Steller's Eider (Polysticta 

 stelleri), Common Eider (Somateria m. moUissinia), 

 Velvet-Scoter (Oidemia /. fusca), White-winged Scoter 

 {Oidemia f. deglandi) , American Scoter (Oidemia americana ) , 

 Lesser Scaup (Nyroca ai finis), also in the Andaman 

 Teal {Nettion alhigidare), and the Tree-Ducks (Dendro- 

 cygna javanica and Dendrocygna guttata). 



The "' nest do^nl "' moult in spring I find in the follo\\ing 

 species in my collection : Sheld-Duck, Ruddy Sheld- 

 Duck (Casarca ferruginea), Gadwall, Wigeon, Shoveler. 

 Red-crested Pochard, Ferruginous Duck. Long-tailed 

 Duck, Harleciuin-Duck, Stellers Eider, Common Eider, 

 Velvet-Scoter, \^^iite-winged Scoter, American Scoter, 

 and Andaman Teal. As more material is examined it 

 will doubtless be found that the females of all the duck 

 family grow a " nest do\ni " in spring. 



That a " spring moult " does not take place in the 

 male I agree, such cases of "moult " in the spring 

 being due to a delayed M-inter moult, chiefly to be 

 noted in l)irds of the ])revious year, in sucli species as 

 Shoveler and Wigeon, and of course in the Diving Ducks, 

 many species of which do not attain their adult dress 

 in their first s]iring. 



One or tMO points seem to have escaped Miss Jackson, 

 for example — no mention is made of the " intermediate ' 

 plumage of tlie adult male Shoveler, and the fact that 

 in certain species of ducks the females have an " eclipse " 



