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11 IK MOULTS OF THE HRITISH PASSERES. 



AVrril NOTES ON THE SEQUENCE OF THEIR 



PLUMAGES. 



BY 



H. F. WITHKPvin". 



Part 1. 



In Volumes III. and IV. of British Birds, Dr. C. B. 

 Ticehurst and I gave the results of our investigations 

 into the moults and sequence of plumages of certain 

 species. Since that time I have been going systemati- 

 cally through the British Passeres in order to discover 

 their moults and unravel their various phunages and 

 propose to give here the result of my investigations. 

 I shall not describe at length the various plumages, 

 but will simply point out as briefly as possible their 

 more important differences. 



Those who have studied the moults and plumages 

 of any bird know that the gi-eat difficulty is to obtain 

 for examination a sufficient series of specimens. One 

 must minutely examine birds at all ages and seasons, 

 and especially during the moults. In this comiexion 

 I have to record my grateful thanks to Lord Rothschild 

 and Dr. E. Hartert, who have most kindly given me 

 every possible facility in making use of the magnificent 

 collection at Tring. I have also by the kindness of the 

 authorities been able to consult, Avhenever necessary, 

 the British Museum collection. Thus t\\-o of the three 

 largest collections of bird-skins in the world have been 

 available. But as a rule there has l)een a. scarcity of 

 moulting birds in these collections, and I have found 

 my own collection invaluable in this respect, as I have 

 for many years made a point of obtaining birds in 

 moult. In this 1 have been greatly aided by Capt. H. 

 Lynes and a number of other friends, among whom I am 

 especially grateful to Messrs. A. P. Adams. H. S. Oladstone. 



