530 Letters, Ewtracts, and Notes. 



to Naumann and Mr. Bonhote (by their writings), would 

 also be clearly known to pretty nearly everyone who had at 

 all studied the question of moults. 



That wild fowl are flightless during the autumn moult is 

 one of the oldest observations on British birds, and was 

 known in the 12th century (Liber Eliensis II. cap. 105), 

 while in 1533 there was passed an Act of Parliament (25 

 Hen. VIII. cap. ii.) to prohibit the taking of Wild Ducks 

 and Wild Geese (between May 31 and August 1) when in 

 this state [vide Newton's Dictionary, p. 597 note) . 



Having started on this subject I will make no apology for 

 referring more in detail to Baron D'Hamonville's paper, as 

 in it arise several points which require further investigation. 

 It is practically certain that all Ducks, Geese, and Swans 

 cast all their flight-feathers at once, but to the detailed list 

 given may be added Bernicla hrenta (Trevor Battye, * Ice- 

 bound on Kolguev ') ; GiJdemia nigra, Sumateria mollissima, 

 Cosmonetta histrionica, Harelda glacialis, on my own obser- 

 vations. 



In the list there is cited nearly all the European Rails ; 

 also Alca torda, Uria tt'oile, Fratercula arctica, and Colymhus 

 arcticus, to which may be added C septentriunalis and Uria 

 grylle from specimens in my collection. Baron D'Hamon- 

 ville gives on his own authority (verified by many specimens), 

 Puffinus anglorum-, I know not whether ail Petrels cast all 

 their flight-feathers at once, but I have a Storm-Petrel 

 which is moulting its wings gradually. Further observations 

 in this group are desirable. Pallas in 1831 (Zoogr. Boss.- 

 Asiat. ii. p. 207) noted that the Flamingo also moulted its 

 wings in anserine fashion, and this was confirmed by Crespon 

 (Orn. du Gard. p. 397), a fact which to me seems rather 

 remarkable. 



But the strangest bird found in this list, and one over 

 which I think there must be some mistake, is Tetrao 

 tetrix $ ; this was inserted on the authority of M. Tacza- 

 nowski (Bull, de la Soc. zool. de France, 1884, p. 303), 

 "who further remarks that the female, hoM^ever, moults in 



