450 Mr. M. J. Nicoll — Contributions 



preservation, but I have five perfect examples from the 

 Wadi now before me. An adult male_, shot on May 17th, is 

 one of the finest summer-plumaged Curlew Sandpipers 

 that I have ever seen. Nearly the whole of the contour 

 feathers are of a deep rust-red, those of the upper parts being- 

 marked with deep black. The other four are females in vary- 

 ing stages towards summer plumage, but all of them shew 

 distinct signs of colour-change in the worn winter feathers 

 of the upper parts. One shot on May 5th shews this change 

 particularly well, for nearly all the feathers of the mantle, 

 alth ough much worn at the tips, are black with rufous markings 

 and a grey border. Had these feathers been newly moulted 

 they could not have shown such signs of wear at so early 

 a date. The feathers of the under parts have apparently 

 been acquired by moult. 



TOTANUS STAGNATILIS. 



Totanus stafjnaiHis Shelley, p. 257 ; Loat, Ibis, 1905, 

 p. 459. 



During April 1910 Mr. Balboni sent me several fine 

 examples of the Marsh Sandpiper. 



A fine pair of adults in full summer plumage, shot on 

 April 12th, 1910, are before me as I write. Of these two 

 birds the female is more heavily marked with black above 

 than is the male, and the black spots on the breast are 

 larger and more numerous. 



Totanus calidris. 



Totanus calidris Shelley, p. 255 ; Loat, Ibis, 1905, 

 p. 459. 



A spring and autumn visitor to the Wadi Natron, where it 

 also winters. On IMarch 23rd, 1910, I shot a Redshank in 

 nearly full summer plumage. So fat was it that the skin of 

 the breast split when it fell. 



I have received specimens from Mr. Balboni shot in 

 August 1910. In November 1911 I found large flocks 

 of Redshanks on the shores of all the Salt Lakes, and I 

 frequently observed large parties flying over the desert from 

 north to south. 



