510 



There is little or no difference in the plumage of the 

 sexes at this season that I am aware of. 



The appearance of the Sanderling in spring when 

 changing to the plumage of summer, is prettier than at 

 any other season ; each feather on the upper surface of the 

 body exhibits a portion of black in the centre, edged partly 

 with rufous and partly with the remains of the white 

 peculiar to winter ; by degrees the white edging gives 

 place to the red; the neck in front becomes speckled, 

 but the under surface of the body remains white all the 

 year. 



A female killed at the end of August had the upper 

 surface of the body darker than in the spring, but mixed 

 with dull black, some red, and greyish white ; almost all 

 the red colour of the breeding-season had disappeared, but 

 the autumn moult having commenced, a few of the greyish 

 white feathers of the winter plumage appeared intermixed 

 with the faded remains of the tints of summer. A bird 

 killed on the 25th of October had completed its winter 

 dress. 



Not possessing a young bird of the year in the plumage 

 previous to its first autumn moult, I copy the following 

 description from the Manual of the Rev. L. Jenyns : 

 " Feathers on the crown of the head, back, scapulars, and 

 wing-coverts, black, edged and spotted with yellowish ; 

 between the bill and the eye a cinereous brown streak ; 

 nape, sides of the neck, and sides of the breast, pale grey, 

 with fine undulating streaks ; forehead, throat, fore part 

 of the neck, and all the under parts, pure white : wings 

 and tail as in the adult." 



