1896.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 139 



Quiscalus quiscula (Linn.). Purple Grackle. 



Male. — Plumages, first, winter and nuptial. 



The young birds molt the wing and tail along with the first body 

 plumage and assume the adult plumage in its entirety the first 

 winter. There is no spring molt and very little effect is produced 

 by abrasion, owing to the uniform color of the plumage, so that 

 the nuptial plumage is scarcely distinguishable from that of winter. 



Female. — Molts as the male. Plumage always duller. 



Family PRINGILLID^. 



A summary of the molting of the species of finches described 

 below shows that thirteen species have no spring molt, while six 

 species have a spring molt of the body feathers. In Spinus tristis, 

 Passerina cyanea, Ammodramus sandivichensis savanna, A. princeps 

 and A. caudacutus, this seems to occur regularly every year. In ^ 

 the first two a radical change of color is eflTected, in the last three the 

 new plumage is the same as the old. 



In Hahia ludoviciana the extent of the molt varies, probably 

 decreasing in succeeding years. 



In four other species, Zonotrichia leucophrys, Z. albicollis, Spizella 

 socialis and Melospiza georgiana, a partial spring molt occurs, less 

 marked after the first year. 



Hahia ludoviciana molts the tail the first spring, Ammodramus 

 caudacutus molts it in many cases though probably not regularly. 



Cardinalis cardinalis molts both wing and tail with the first plum- 

 age at the end of summer and Passerina cyanea and Ammodramus 

 caudacutus molt the tail at this time. 



Carpodacus purpureus (Gmel.). Purple Finch. 



Male. — Plumages, first, first winter, first nuptial, adult winter, 

 adult nuptial. 



I have not been able to examine any molting specimens of Car- 

 podacus, but a large series of winter and spring specimens shows 

 that no spring molt occurs. The change to the pink plumage is 

 evidently effected at an annual molt either the second year or still 

 later. The birds retain the brown dress during the first breeding 

 season at least. Fall specimens in brown plumage difier from spring 

 examples in the loss of buflf" tints through abrasion, while pink birds 

 lose the gray or brown edgings of winter in the same way. The 

 great predominence of brown birds makes it seem at least possible 

 that some never acquire the pink plumage. 



