COLOUR-CHANGES WITHOUT MOULTING 159 



At the time of its passage in May, the long posterior flight- 

 feathers of this bird have not yet completed their change of colour, 

 their lower third being still blackish silver grey, approaching a 

 faint black towards the roots of the feathers, while the broad whitish 

 margins still bear traces of their earlier marking of dark spots. 



Simultaneously with the change of colour of the upper parts, 

 the grey tinge of the feathers of the neck, upper breast, and sides 

 of the breast disappears : these become pure white, and in their 

 middle acquire deep black streaks in the lines of their shafts, which 

 become very broad on the larger feathers, and, extending to their 

 tips, assume an elongated tear-shaped form. In the beauty of its 

 breeding plumage, elegance of shape, and grace of movements, this 

 bird not only occupies the first place among its congeners, but 

 figures as one of the most handsome of our native avifauna. 



In the Redshank the alteration of colour to the summer 

 plumage is characterised by a phenomenon not observed in the 

 case of any other species here discussed, viz. the development of 

 the barred markings of the posterior flight-feathers and greater 

 wing-coverts in older birds. In the winter plumage all the upper 

 parts, as well as the sides of the upper breast, are of a uniform 

 olivaceous slaty grey, with a faint metallic gloss. Of the same 

 colour are also the long posterior flight-feathers and the greater 

 wing-coverts. The latter have whitish edges and small dark mar- 

 ginal spots, and the sides of the breast are suffused with olivaceous 

 slaty grey. 



In all the upper parts the change of colour to the summer 

 plumage commences by the shafts of the feathers becoming black, 

 which colour expands in the form of lanceolate spots and streaks 

 towards the roots of the feathers over their whole surface. At the 

 same time darkish dots appear at the margins of the feathers, 

 which, gradually coalescing, form narrow dark bands running 

 inwards to the shafts of the feathers; between these bands the 

 feathers become rusty grey, the colouring proceeding from the 

 margin inwards. 



The number of the bands increases with the size of the feathers, 

 so that while the smaller feathers of the back have only indications 

 of them, the scapulars and long posterior flight-feathers display 

 from five to fifteen. The beauty of the markings of these latter 

 feathers is further enhanced by the fact that a whitish border is 

 formed around each of these transverse bars ; these are especially 

 marked in the outer webs of the feathers, the colour proceeding 

 from the margins inwards. It is almost superfluous to repeat that 

 side by side with these colour-changes all the feathers reacquire 

 their former freshness and entirety of margins. 



