Albmiem and Melanism in North 
American Birds* Bnthven D. ane. 
An albino, C. fulvus var. virginicus, was shot on Cape Cod, in 
September, 1875. This is the only instance which has come to 
my knowledge of albinism occurring in any of our Plovers or 
Sandpipers, and as these species are shot in such immense num- 
bers during the migrations is it not a little strange that we do 
not hear of more examples, as such curiosities are always pre- 
served, even by the market gunner. 
Bull N. 0 , 0 . l.April, 1876, p.22 
On the Seasonable Changes of Plum- 
age in Birds. 
1SY ALFRED CEAWHALL CHAPMAN. 
I q l6 . Golden Plover. By E. E. F. Ibid., p. 349-- Spring migration 
in Iowa. For, & stream. Yol, 34 
“403 Protracted Flight of a Golden Plover. By H. E. Stockbridge. 
Ibid., No. 10, Oct., 1886, pp. 898, 899-— The bird alighfed on a ship in 
Lat . 37 0 N., Long. 156° W. Amer. 
i7i 8. Golden Plover. By F. Ibid., Sept. 13, p. 145. — Large flights 
on Long Island. fOT, &StE ©am, YOlc SI 
1954. A Tame Plover. By E. B. Webster. ‘ The Toon,' Vol. I, No. 2, 
Feb., 1889, pp. 9-11. — Charadrius dominions. 
No doubt naturalists have frequently observed 
the great dissimilarity in the seasonal plumages 
of many species of birds. This is strikingly no- 
ticeable in the case of the Golden Plover. On 
the Northumberland moors the Golden Plover 
may be said to breed commonly. Small parties 
of them may be seen frequenting tlie lower 
grounds all through the .Winter. About the be- 
ginning of February the change from the white 
breast of Winter to the black of Summer com- 
mences, and gradually increases until the bird 
lias attained its full Summer dress. When on 
the wing these dark-breasted birds appear to be 
much blacker than they really are. Having shot 
what appears to be a very black-breasted bird, 
one finds that many of tlie white feathers of 
Winter are still visible, giving tlie bird a check- 
ered appearance. 
What appears most strange is that these birds 
never reach what is considered the typically adult 
Summer plumage of the Golden Plover. It mat- 
ters not at what period of the breeding season, 
this undeveloped plumage is always conspicuous. 
Now, I would ask, what is the natural cause of 
this ? 
Even in Shetland the Summer dress of the 
Golden Plover is much darker, more devel- 
oped than in Northumberland ; but if we visit 
Lapland or Siberia, we find there the Golden 
Plover in what we consider their typically adult 
Summer dress. If they had to endure greater 
cold or stress of weather at their northern breed- 
ing-stations, one could perhaps account foi the 
more adult form of plumage by a greater thick- 
ness of feathers ; but such is not tlie case. In- 
deed, I venture to say that the Northumberland 
birds have, if anything, the greater cold to en- 
dure. Perhaps it is that the birds which frequent 
our moors in Winter are not the birds which re- 
main to breed with us; possibly all these. birds 
migrate northwards to Lapland and Siberia, theii 
places being taken by another and different set of 
birds, which have spent tlieir Winter in more 
southerly latitudes, and which make our counties 
the northern limit for their Spring migration. 
This is a theory difficult to solve. It may be that 
the reverse is tlie case, and that the birds which 
Winter also remain to breed with us, and that, 
there is a great migration from the Mediterranean 
direct to the morasses and tundras of Siberia. 
I think, perhaps, this is most likely to be the 
i case, as many specimens of birds which seldom 
! breed south of the Arctic circle are regularly ob- 
tained in their adult Summer plumage in the veiy 
south of Europe, about the middle of May. 
(DW.X. 
v7 
