1450 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 237 part s 



Plumages. — The natal down of the newly hatched young at Dorion 

 appeared to be very dark grey, almost black. It was about half an 

 inch long and covered the body rather scantily on top of the head, 

 along the middle of the back, on the wings and thighs. The general 

 impression upon looking into a nest of newly hatched young of this 

 species is like looking into a black hole. The down persists for some 

 time after the juvenal plumage is acquired, particularly on the top 

 of the head. In specimens examined at the Royal Ontario Museum, 

 this down appeared brownish against a black background but almost 

 black against a light background. 



Richard R. Graber (1955) describes the juvenal plumage which is 

 acquired by a complete postnatal molt as follows: "Forehead rich 

 brown with rather fine black streaks. Median stripe bufTy, laterally 

 rich brown, streaked with blackish. Superciliary region gray, finely 

 streaked with blackish. Nape finely mottled, shades of brown, buff, 

 gray, and blackish. Back streaked buffy gray, light brown, and 

 blackish. Rump slightly darker, streaking more obscure. Upper 

 tail coverts and rectrices brownish, black along the shaft. Remiges 

 dark gray; primaries light edged; secondaries, tertials, and coverts 

 edged with rusty. Median and greater coverts tipped narrowly with 

 buff. Tertials blackish with buff tips. Lores grayish. Auriculars 

 rich rusty brown, margined with blackish; sub-auriculars buff. Chin 

 and throat white, finely spotted and streaked with blackish. Chest, 

 sides, and flanks buff, finely streaked with blackish. Belly and 

 crissum whitish, unmarked. Leg feathers light brown." 



A juvenal Lincoln's sparrow 12 days out of the nest on July 14, 

 1956, still had a stubby, partially grown tail; the breast streaks were 

 broader and continued lower down on the breast than in the adults. 

 The dark lines above and below the ear coverts were also broader 

 and more distinct than in adult plumage, the lower line having a 

 blotchy appearance. In the juvenal plumage they are very similar 

 to song sparrows and swamp sparrows in the same plumage. (See 

 Field marks.) 



According to D wight (1900) the first winter plumage is "acquired 

 by a partial postjuvenal moult * * * which involves the body 

 plumage and the wing coverts but not the rest of the wings nor the 

 tail." In eastern Canada this postjuvenal molt takes place during 

 August. The latest juvenal plumage Lincoln's sparrow in the Royal 

 Ontario Museum collections was taken on August 9. 



Dwight continues: The first nuptial plumage is "acquired by 

 wear * * * from the first winter dress." The adult winter plumage 

 is "acquired by a complete postnuptial moult in August." The adult 

 nuptial plumage is "acquired by wear as in the young bird. The 



