332 BULLETIN 2 03, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Young. — The period of incubation seems to be unknown, and we 

 have no information on the care and development of the young. In- 

 cubation is said to b-e performed by the female alone, but both parents 

 assist in feeding the young. After the young are out of the nest, they 

 may be seen travelling through the woods in family parties with their 

 parents. There seems to be no evidence that more than one brood is 

 raised in a season. 



Plumages. — Ridgway (1902) describes the young cerulean warbler 

 in nestling (juvenal) plumage as "above uniform brownish gray (deep 

 drab gray), the pileum divided longitudinally by a broad median 

 stripe of grayish white; sides of head (including a broad superciliary 

 stripe) and entire under parts white; a narrow postocular stripe of 

 deep drab gray ; wings as in adults, but edgings greenish rather than 

 bluish." 



The first winter plumage is assumed by a partial postjuvenal molt, 

 involving the contour plumage and the wing coverts, but not the rest 

 of the wings nor the tail. Dr. D wight (1900) describes the young 

 male in this plumage as "above, deep bice-green, partly concealing 

 cinereous gray which is conspicuous on the rump and upper tail 

 coverts, the latter and the feathers of the back often black centrally. 

 The wing coverts with bluish cinereous gray edgings; two wing bands 

 white, faintly tinged with canary-yellow. Below, white, strongly 

 washed except on the chin, abdomen and crissum with primrose- 

 yellow, the sides and flanks streaked obscurely with dull black. Super- 

 ciliary line primrose-yellow ; lores and orbital regions whitish ; a dusky 

 transocular streak." 



The first nuptial plumage is acquired by a partial prenuptial molt 

 "which involves much of the body plumage and wing coverts, but not 

 the rest of the wrings nor the tail. The grayish cerulean blue, the 

 black streaks on the back and the white wing bands are acquired; 

 below, the plumage is white with a narrow bluish black band on the 

 throat and the sides distinctly streaked. Young and old become prac- 

 tically indistinguishable, except by the duller wings and tail of the 

 juvenal dress." 



The adult winter plumage is acquired by a complete postnuptial 

 molt in July, which he says "differs from first winter in being much 

 bluer and whiter, the wdngs and tail blacker and the edgings a bluer 

 gray. Resembles the adult nuptial, but rather grayer on the back 

 and the throat band incomplete." The adult nuptial plumage is ac- 

 quired by a partial-prenuptial molt as in the young bird. 



He says of the plumages of the female : "The plumages and moults 

 correspond to those of the male. In juvenal plumage the edgings of 

 the wings and tail are greener tinged than those of the male. In first 

 winter plumage the green above is duller and the black of the back 



