ORNITHOLOGY OF CORNWALL. 289 



The Scilly Islands have been visited during the past Autumn 

 by sportsmen and naturalists, who have contributed information 

 on the ornithological resources of those Islands, which will be 

 worthy of record in your Journal. You are already a good deal 

 indebted to those Islands for a large amount of information on 

 subjects of Natural History; nature has favoui'ed these Islands 

 with many advantages for the furtherance of scientific pursuits, 

 both zoological and botanical, not only from their climatic in- 

 fluence, but from their maritime and extreme southerly and 

 westerly position. My Journal for October has the following note : 



British Sandpipers at Scilly. — The elegant form of our Sand- 

 pipers (Totani) renders them always agreeable visitors, whether on 

 the margin of water or on the wing. There is a shyness and wild- 

 ness in their natures which add to their interest with naturalists 

 and sportsmen. The " Common Sandpiper," " Green Sandpiper," 

 " Redshank," and " Dusky Sandpij)er " (the " Spotted Eedshank " 

 of Bewick and Gould), have all appeared in their southern or 

 autumnal migration, at the Scilly Isles during the last fort- 

 night. I believe there is little or no seasonal change of 

 plumage in the common, green, or wood Sandpipers of a re- 

 markable character; but in the Redshank and Dusky Sand- 

 pipers the change of plumage is striking, especially in the 

 Dusky Sandpiper, which in summer becomes almost sooty black 

 from pale cinereous in winter. The Dusky Sandpiper in its 

 first year, previous to the autumnal moult, shows a plumage well 

 represented by Bewick in his figure of the " Spotted Redshank." 

 When they moult, this spotted plumage gives way to an uniform 

 cinereous brown on the back, with the underparts almost white, 

 instead of being marbled over brocoli-brown as in the young bird. 

 I mention this to induce further observations from those who may 

 obtain specimens at this time ; for in a fine specimen just sent 

 from Scilly I observe the moult commenced and a few cinereous 

 feathers cropping out on tbe spotted back, showing the assumption 

 of the winter plumage. 



Scilly has be.en remarkably rich in her family of Stints (Tringa) 

 this year. Besides the common species, those Islands have aflForded 

 specimens of the " Buff-breasted," the " Pectoral," and " Schinz's " 

 Stints, all rare species, and all fully worthy to be recorded in 

 your Journal. A particular description of these birds would be 



