AtTTUMN NOTES FROM THE NORFOLK COAST. lit 



surprised to find that Major J. Biddulph, writing " On the Birds 

 of Gilgit" in 'The Ibis' (1882, p. 288), says that Tringa sub- 

 arquata shot on Sept. 4th had completely assumed the winter 

 plumage. According to Messrs. Gurney and Southwell's list 

 (Trans. Norfolk &■ Norwich Nat. Soc. 1886-7), Norfolk has never 

 produced •' one in adult winter garb." The adults (which seem 

 to arrive very early in autumn) probably go on before the season 

 is far advanced, but Sept. 4th seems an extraordinarily early date 

 for them to have acquired full winter dress, and, coupled with 

 the early far southward migration of the adults, is a curious and 

 interesting point in the life-history of this Sandpiper, about which 

 we know so little at present. The fact that the old birds shot 

 early in August already showed a few light-coloured feathers also 

 points to a remarkably early assumption of the winter dress.* 

 The early date at which the adults go south, of course, accounts 

 for the fact stated by Messrs. Gurney and Southwell; but it 

 appears that young birds of the year (as is the case to some 

 extent with the Dunlin) do not assume winter dress until a 

 considerable time after the adults. But although the young stay 

 much later in Norfolk than the adults, I believe that it is very 

 rare for even the former to assume the grey winter dress in that 

 county, though some occasionally remain into October, and 

 I have seen one myself in the marsh as late as the 8th of the 

 month, f But I merely judge of their plumage in the autumn 

 from the local specimens I have seen at the birdstufFer's (all of 

 which retained the speckled dress), and have never handled an 

 October example in the flesh. In length of beak the Curlew 

 Sandpiper presents considerable variation. I measured nine birds 

 which we got one day. The beak of one measured 1*65 in.; of 

 another, 1*5 in.; and those of the remainder between 1*4 and 

 1'35 in. The first bird was decidedly larger in the body than 

 the others. 



In other seasons when Pigmies have been numerous, Little 

 Stints have followed suit, but last year proved an exception. 

 A young bird was secured on the 2nd, and I saw another up 

 the harbour channel the next day. The other waders met with 



* Some adult Dunlins will not have changed at all nearly a month later, 

 f Qy. : Do they assume full winter dress the first year ? Probably not. 



