1920.] Ornithulogy of tlie Island of Texel. 385 



If it were necessary co emphasize the fact that all is not 

 known abont even some of: our commonest birds, I would 

 cite this species as an example. The fact that we have in 

 England long-billed and short-billed Dunlins (apart from 

 sexual distinction, the female's bill being nearly always 

 longci- than ihe male's) has been known for a great number 

 of years, and has been referred to over and over again ; and 

 even supposed diflerences in habitat have been recorded, one 

 form being called the " shore Dunlin "' and llu! other the 

 "drain Dunlin."' As Howard Saunders j;ointed out (and T 

 have fully confirmed it*), it is the shori-billed form which 

 breeds in Great Britain. I have also recorded* the fact 

 that, in my experience, migrants under stress of weather in 

 winter to our shores invariably belong to the long-billed 

 form, as do the vast majority of those which take up their 

 winter quarters with us normally. What, I think, we do 

 not know is whether the short-billed form winters with us 

 at all ; personally I have never seen a winter specimen of 

 this form, and others have had the same experience ; and I 

 suspect that normally it winters to the south of our islands, 

 a suspicion strengthened by the fact that on spi-ing migration 

 these short-billed birds reappear in full sunnner dress (often 

 not recently acquired either), wdiile the birds which have 

 wintered here still retain, in a great measure, their winter 

 plumage. It is a j)oint, 1 think, worthy of attention. 



LiTTLK Stint. 



One in the Polder het Noorden on 24 August and two on 

 the sands on the 21)th were the only examples noted. 



CUKLEW SaKDPIPEK. 



Not uncommon on the sands in August; also seen on the 

 muddy margins of the pools in the polders. A flock of 

 forty on the sands on 1 September and several adults in 

 breeding-plumage noted. Not met with on our second visit. 

 I noted that they fed on a species of marine w eed, T fancy 

 Zostera. This species here, as with us, apparently does not 

 tarr}' long on its autumnal migration. 



* I kill. 13. 0. C. vol. xxxiii. pp. 08-U'l. 



