134 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1896. 



The Bobolink furnislies the only instance known to me, among 

 the species here treated, of a molt of the remiges in the spring. The 

 molt of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak, with this exception, is almost 

 parallel for the first season, though the buff edgings which are lost 

 by abrasion are not quite so much developed. Afterward, how- 

 ever, the Rose-breast has a winter plumage quite different from that 

 of the first year while the Bobolink, year after year, returns to the 

 buff " Reed-bird " garb. The old winter birds are perhaps of a little 

 different shade of buff and I think it is only the old birds that show 

 the occasional black feathers in fall. 



Mr. Chapman's specimen in the spring molt as well as specimens 

 in the annual molt have been examined. I have been unable, how- 

 ever, to ascertain whether the young bird molts the wing and tail 

 feathers with the rest of the first plumage or not. 



Female. — Plumage always similar to winter dress of male. I have 

 not been able to ascertain whether there is any spring molt or not, 

 the breeding plumage, however, is much lighter than the winter 

 dress owing to abrasion. A curious plumage is shown in a specimen 

 from Raleigh, N. C. May 2, 1893, No. M, Coll. W. A. Shryock, in 

 which there are many black feathers on the breast, belly and head, 

 evidently an approach to the male pattern of coloration. 



Molothrus ater (Bodd.). Cowbird. 



Male. — Plumages ; first, winter and nuptial ; the last two, how- 

 ever, are scarcely distinguishable, owing to the very small effect pro- 

 duced by abrasion in this species. 



There seems to be no spring molt whatever, and almost the only 

 effect of the abrasion is to emphasize the line of demarcation 

 between the brown head and the black back. The young molt the 

 wing and tail at the end of summer with the rest of the plumage. 



Female. — Molts as in the male. The adult plumage is entirely 

 gray and the abrasion is very marked in spring, presenting a 

 " clipped " appearance exactly as in Ammodramus maritimus. 



There is no change in the coloration of either sex of the Cowbird 

 after the first winter dress has been assumed. 



Agelaius phoeniceus (Linn.). Red-winged Blackbird. 



Male. — Five fairly marked plumages may be distinguished: — 

 first, first winter, first nuptial, adult winter and adult nuptial, the 

 last two, however, as in many other species, differ very slightly. 



