222 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
shot Bartailed Godwits on the coast of Northumberland returning 
from breeding as early as August 11th, while by the 25th most of 
the northern breeding species, such as Greenshanks, Reeves, 
Sanderlings, Knots, Turnstones, &c., can be obtained. 
On comparing skins of the Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) 
shot in the Dovre Fjeld in Norway, with those obtained at a 
similar season in East Finmark, I notice the same relative 
difference in their stages of mature plumage as I have remarked 
in the case of the Golden Plover. The Finmark birds have the 
head, neck, and upper part of the back, of a rich glossy black, 
like our common Rook, whilst the Dovre Fjeld birds have the ends 
of the feathers edged with buff, showing the undeveloped change 
from their winter plumage. This would seem to indicate that the 
further north a bird goes to breed, the more perfect must the 
condition of the bird become, each feather seeming to obtain 
greater vitality: than in the more southerly species, and, as a 
consequence of this, the gradual change of colour is extended 
_ further down each feather, till the whole of the feather, with the 
exception of that portion which wears off, becomes black. 
Probably the change from spring to summer and from summer to 
autumn plumage is effected both by means of change of colour in 
the feather itself, and by moult, according to the physical 
condition of the bird at the time. 
It seems probable that the theory which holds good with regard 
to the changes of plumage in the true Falcons applies also to the 
case of the common Buzzard (Buteo vulgaris), and perhaps the fol- 
lowing notes on the plumage of the latter species may be of interest. 
During the months of May and June, 1878, my brother and I 
obtained many beautiful specimens of both old and young 
Common Buzzards in the large woods near Hesse-Cassell, in 
Central Germany. They seemed to be very common there, 
probably because they were quite unmolested. 
On May 11th we found a nest containing two down-clad young, 
which were pure white, and one egg hatching; both the old birds 
were a uniform dark-brown, the male being much the smaller of 
the two. 
On May 26th we found two nests, each containing two eggs; 
in the one case nearly hatching, in the other quite fresh. We 
trapped the old birds, and found them in similar plumage to those 
already described. 
