464 APPENDIX. 



any part of this bird, but iu the head and neck, where the change takes 

 place in colour between the summer and winter plumage. This change 

 is continued far down, the hinder part of the neck to near the back. 

 A specimen shot with this, is said to have been in summer plumage. 



Motacilla Yurrelll. February 1849 (middle of). — Wliite feathers of 

 throat falling off, and young black ones appearing. All the dark body 

 plumage of the bird had become darker than in winter, without a 

 change of feathers. 



Vanelliis cristatus. February, 1849 (end of). — White feathers of 

 throat falling out and new black ones appearing. 



PJialacrocorax carlo. March 3, 1849. — One of these birds, in the 

 plmnage of Bewick's crested corvorant, shot in Belfast Bay to-day, 

 came under my notice ; it had white patches on thighs, white bristly 

 feathers on neck, plumage white, from near the eye downwards 

 round the base of the bill ; but it was not in the very fullest state of 

 this plumage : there was an elongated crest of greenish-black feathers 

 on the back of the head, even more fully shown than in Yarrell's figure 

 (vol. iii. p. 480, 2nd edit.). This bird was a female, and contained 

 many minute eggs, about sixty altogether ; the largest the size of a 

 small pea, and others varying almost to that of clover-seed. The 

 whole bird was in a state of moult, except the quill and tail-feathers ; 

 two of the latter, however, being so. All the dark-coloured plumage 

 was of a deeper tint than in winter. The belly had lost its winter 

 white, and was now black. 



Motacilla hoarula. March 10, 1842. — One shot to-day had the 

 parts of the plumage, and those only that are of a different colom* in the 

 breeding season, in moult. A few of the old feathers remained on 

 the tlu'oat changed to black, but these it was believed would drop off, 

 and give place to new ones. 



Charadr'ms pluvialis. March 10, 1849. — A bird shot to-day was in 

 spring plumage, as described by Yarrell ('Brit. Birds,' vol. ii. p. 386, 

 1st edit.). Old feathers appear with black, white, and golden mark- 

 ings, as do new also ; some with white and others with black shafts 

 bear these three markings. The shaft and lower portion of the fea- 

 ther is sometimes white where the plumage is black at tip,* and black 



* This is also tlie case iii one shot ou April 27th, aud in a grey plover, in adult 

 summer plumage, preserved in the Belfast Museum. Mr. J. R. Garrett has re- 

 marked it also iu the spiing moult of the lapwing aud pied wagtail. 



