VOL. XI.] MOULTS OF BRITISH WADERS. 59 
Exceptional Moult of the Remiges in Spring of First Winter 
Birds. In the following species I have found instances of 
exceptional moult of the remiges in spring of first winter 
birds : Ringed Plover, Sanderling and Marsh-Sandpiper. 
Moutr From First SuMMER TO SeconD WINTER PLUMAGE. 
The second winter plumage is acquired by a complete 
moult in autumn or early winter as in the adults, after which, 
with the exception of the Stilt, all the British waders become 
like the adults. In the Stilt the adult winter plumage is not 
acquired till the third year. 
Movutt From ADULT WINTER PLUMAGE TO ADULT SUMMER 
PLUMAGE. 
Waders may be divided into three classes according to the 
extent of the pre-nuptial moult: Class I., those in which 
the moult is very partial and confined to some of the body- 
feathers, an occasional innermost secondary or odd median 
and lesser wing-coverts. Class II., those in which most or 
all of the body-feathers are renewed, occasionally, in some 
usually, the central pair of tail-feathers or all the tail-feathers, 
the innermost secondaries and coverts, some median and 
lesser coverts. Class III., those in which the remiges as 
well as the rectrices and body-feathers are involved. To 
Class I. belong the Lapwing, Stilt and Woodcock. In Class 
II. are included the large majority of the waders ; in some 
the tail-feathers are apparently not moulted, viz. Killdeer, 
Baird’s Sandpiper, Purple Sandpiper, while in the Sociable 
Plover, Dunlin, Purple Sandpiper, Bonaparte’s Sandpiper, 
Semi-palmated Sandpiper, the Red-necked and Grey Phala- 
ropes, the median and lesser coverts are not renewed (in 
the Dunlin the central pair of tail-feathers or an odd tail- 
feather are very occasionally renewed), while in the Dunlin, 
Purple Sandpiper, and Bonaparte’s Sandpiper the inner- 
most secondaries and coverts are only occasionally moulted. 
To Class III. belong the Little and Temminck’s Stints, 
and probably also the American Stint, but I have 
examined very few spring specimens of the latter, and the 
Common and Spotted Sandpipers. In the Stints, both 
adults and first winter birds moult the remiges in spring. 
In the Common and Spotted Sandpipers the first winter 
bird is indistinguishable trom the adult and t is impossible 
to say whether the spring moult of the remiges is indulged in 
by young and old alike. In both these species adults in 
worn summer plumage just commencing body-moult occur 
in October and exceptionally in December or even January. 
_ Examples moulting the remiges occur in every month from 
