388 Lieut. C. B. Ticehurst on the [Ibis, 



Bar-tailed Godwit " on its spring passage, and I can 

 fully agree with this statement and confirm it as regards 

 the autumn passage. During our stay, 25 August to 

 1 September, there were huge flocks massed on the shore ; 

 and, besides these, no day passed without our noticing huge 

 flocks in W or V formation coming in high from the north- 

 east and passing over to the south-west. The large flocks on 

 the sand kept right out on the edge of the tide, not moving 

 until the water became so deep that they had to fly. Quite 

 a number were still in breeding-plumage. I only saw odd 

 birds inside the sea-wall. The migration of this species 

 is evidently a long drawn-out concern, as on our second 

 visit (15 September to 10 October) Godwits were still very 

 numerous, arrivals and departures being noted on many 

 dates, and so the numbers fluctuated from day to day right 

 up to 10 October. Vaughan saw great numbers on the 

 shore on 5 May, 1913, and in the polders on 27 May, 1914. 

 The spring passage of this species along our eastern 

 sea-board would appear not to reach as far north as 

 Northumberland, as, whilst there is a marked passage on 

 the Lincolnshire and Norfolk coasts, very few pass along the 

 first-named county's shores at that season. On 25 August 

 we secured two adult Godwits — one was still in the red 

 summer-plumage with hardly a feather changed, the other 

 had nearly finished its moult into the grey winter-plumage. 

 Adult Godwits, like many other waders, doubtless leave 

 their breeding-grounds in the north before commencing the 

 moult, which takes place when they are congregated on such 

 sand-flats as those of Texel. At first sight then it would 

 seem curious that on the same day we should find two indi- 

 viduals in such diverse plumage, but I think the explanation 

 probably is that the bird which had already assumed its 

 winter-plumage had not been north to breed, and so had 

 started to moult earlier. There are several very interesting 

 points connected with the plumage of this species : it has 

 long been known and has been a matter of comment that on 

 spring passage we may see individuals in full red summer- 

 plumage; while others in the same flock have apparently 



