BY CHAELES MUEEAT ADAMSON. 125 



judge of tlieir shape, and see the colour of their eyes, legs, beak, 

 and feathers, which in so many species change during the growth 

 of the bird and with the seasons. He wishes to admire and con- 

 template their wonderfully different forms, and the arrangements 

 of the layers of feathers, as adapted to the bird's requirements. 



I would ask, can any one yet satisfactorily explain the change 

 of plumage, from winter to summer, of so many of our shore 

 birds, which takes place about April ? even of the Dunlin, compa- 

 ratively speaking a common bird ? and how much of this change 

 is acquired by moulting ? and how much by the change of the 

 colour in the feathers themselves ? or can any one explain the 

 length of time birds of these genera take to change from white 

 to black or from white to red ? or the cause of such changes ? or 

 can they account for the change in the plumage of the males of 

 the surface feeding Ducks, which takes place about July, when 

 they acquire a plumage somewhat resembling the females ? and 

 then again the change to their full plumage about October ? 



The Wigeon and Wild Geese which remain longest on our 

 coasts in spring are most probably not those which would remain 

 in Scotland to breed. The birds breeding there have most likely 

 nests before the flocks leave our more southern shores, where 

 they are lingering till the distant northern morasses are ready 

 for their economy, which would not be till about the middle of 

 June. It appears to me, therefore, to be quite unnecessary and 

 useless to prevent these coast birds being shot, so long as they 

 remain with us in flocks, or at any rate, until the end of Mai'ch. 



It remains for me to ask forbearance from my listeners in their 

 criticism of what they have heard. I have written down my 

 thoughts as they occurred to me, and am afraid I have used a 

 great many repetitions, but they are used as explanatory argu- 

 ments, and in consequence of my not being accustomed much to 

 writing I have used a crude style, which I hope will be over- 

 looked. 



In conclusion, I feel uncertain whether I have tlirown any 

 light upon a subject which apparently is very little understood by 

 our legislators. 



